Conan's Crisis

Conan's Crisis

Hearing that it concerned Kudo Shinichi, Yukiko seemed very concerned. "What connection could they possibly have? One is a high school detective, and the other is just a little boy."

Lin Maoxian was not surprised by Yukiko's skepticism. If he had not known the truth, he would not have believed it either if someone told him there was a connection between the two. But faced with Yukiko's doubts, and unable to tell her the truth, he could only keep making things up. "After investigating through many channels, I found that the day Kudo Shinichi disappeared was also when that little boy named Conan appeared. I asked around. The first person to find Conan was Ran, at Professor Agasa's place next door to Kudo Shinichi's house. I have to suspect that after they forced Kudo Shinichi to drink some drug, he turned into Conan. As for his behavior afterward, that's easy to explain. After turning into a little boy and being unable to go back, it's only natural he would seek out someone he could trust. That's why Ran found him at Professor Agasa's house and brought him back to the agency to stay temporarily."

"Th-Then why didn't he contact us?" Yukiko had clearly already believed Lin Maoxian's reasoning, but she still could not understand why, after something like this had happened, her own son had not contacted her and her husband so they could help him.

"What's so hard to understand about that? He's a detective. I think he probably wanted to find the culprit behind it himself, then find the antidote and turn back into Kudo Shinichi. He didn't tell you because he was afraid you'd worry about him. What do you think? Does my explanation make sense?" Lin Maoxian casually found a reason and answered Yukiko's question.

After listening to Lin Maoxian's answer, Yukiko thought about it and realized that really did seem to be the case. She understood her own son. Ever since he was little, influenced by his father, he had possessed an unusual obsession with the profession of detective. After something like this happened, he would naturally be determined to search for the truth behind it and enjoy the process of investigation. But this time, something so huge had happened, and he had not even told his family. It was truly unforgivable. She had to find a chance to give him a proper lesson. "Then I'll go find him right now." As Yukiko spoke, she was about to go look for Conan.

"Don't be in such a hurry. I still have something even more interesting here. I wonder if you want to do it." Lin Maoxian grabbed Yukiko, who was about to leave, and spoke to her mysteriously.

"What is it?" Yukiko's interest was piqued by his secretive manner, and she even set aside the matter of going to find her son for the moment.

Lin Maoxian lowered his head and softly said a few things to her.

"I like it. Don't worry." A short while later, after hearing what Lin Maoxian had said, Yukiko chuckled, a devilish smile rising on her face.

Lin Maoxian went downstairs alone and found Kisaki Eri, who was waiting for them. After explaining that Yukiko had something to do, he told her the identity he had just made up for Yukiko. Of course, he did not tell her the rest. He truly did not want to drag her into these matters. After that, he had Kisaki Eri take him around Tokyo properly to see how it differed from the real world. As for his appointment with Kogoro, he had long since tossed it aside.

At noon the next day, at the Mouri Detective Agency.

Conan felt extremely annoyed. That man had said he would come last night, but he had stood them up, making him wait for an entire day for nothing. Luckily, because of the heavy snow, there was no school today. If that man came today, he would definitely make him regret it.

"Dad, you still haven't heard anything about Shinichi?" Ran Mouri asked, looking at Kogoro, who was limp all over and had a face full of bad luck.

"How would I know where that brat ran off to? You know, I even used my connections at the Metropolitan Police Department and asked them to help search, but there still isn't the slightest news about that brat. I really don't know where he ran off to." Hearing his daughter's question, Kogoro replied weakly. For this commission, he had really put in a great deal of effort. He had even used his connections at the Metropolitan Police Department, hoping to find that brat, but who knew there would not be a single clue? If the client came and he still had not found that brat, not only would the money in his hands fly away, he would also have to compensate the commission fee he had already spent. Just thinking about it made his whole body ache.

"Huh? No news about Shinichi? Where on earth could he have gone? Could something have happened to him?" Kogoro's words clearly hit her hard. She really had not seen Shinichi for a long time, and she did not know what his current situation was, or whether some accident had happened.

Conan, off to the side, thought, Of course you can't find Kudo Shinichi, because I'm right here now, and I've even become Conan.

Knock, knock, knock!!! Just as the few of them were each lost in thought, someone knocked on the agency's door.

Hearing the knocking, Ran Mouri went forward and opened the door. The one knocking was a middle-aged lady. "Hello, this is the Mouri Detective Agency. May I ask what you need?"

The middle-aged lady answered with a smile, "Hello. I'm Edogawa Conan's mother. I came to take him home."

"Oh, is that so? Then please come in." As she spoke, she turned and walked inside first. After they reached the room, she said to Conan mysteriously, "Conan, she's here."

Conan was puzzled. She? Who is she?

After entering and seeing Conan, the middle-aged lady smiled and stepped forward. "I'm sorry, Conan. You must have been so lonely all by yourself, right? Come, go home with Mommy."

The middle-aged lady's words shocked Conan. "Who are you? I don't even know you."

"Huh? It's not her?" Conan's words left Ran Mouri very confused. She had thought this lady was Conan's mother. If she was not, then why would this lady say that?

Hearing Conan's words, the middle-aged lady pretended to be helpless and said, "Oh my! You child, really. Throwing a tantrum again. Actually, it's all our fault for leaving him here all this time. Hello, my name is Fumiyo Edogawa. I am Edogawa Conan's genuine mother." As she spoke, she took out a business card printed with the name Fumiyo Edogawa and gave it to Kogoro, who was standing off to the side.

Seeing this, Conan thought, She's lying. Edogawa Conan is just a name I made up. This person can't possibly have a mother. Where did this woman come from? And what is her purpose in doing this?

Kogoro took the business card. It was indeed Fumiyo Edogawa. Thinking that he could finally drive away this brat who ate, drank, and stayed for free, he felt extremely happy. "So it's Madam Edogawa. Since you've come to take Conan away, then I have nothing more to say. You can just take him with you."

Seeing Kogoro's reaction, Fumiyo Edogawa was also very pleased. "Then I'll trouble you, Mr. Kogoro. I will remember how you took care of Conan during this period, and afterward I will give you a token of my thanks."

Hearing that there would be a token of thanks for him, Kogoro looked even happier. "Not at all, not at all. It was nothing."

Conan knew he had no way to refute her. After all, his own parents could not be exposed. If he refused to acknowledge her, he would not be able to find any excuse, and in the end he would still be forcibly taken away. Besides, he really wanted to know what this woman's purpose was.

The group left the agency and first sent Conan into the car.

Fumiyo Edogawa thanked the Mouri father and daughter again. "This child really owes so much to your care. We'll thank you properly in the future."

Kogoro immediately said, "All right, I'll be waiting."

Although Fumiyo Edogawa was truly speechless at Kogoro's behavior, she still smiled and said, "Then we'll be taking our leave."

Ran Mouri, off to the side, looked at Conan sitting in the car and greeted him with a smile. "Goodbye, Conan. When you get there, be sure to write to us. I'll miss you too."

Watching the car slowly leave, Kogoro called from behind, "Madam, remember not to forget the thank-you gift!" Clearly, this was what he truly cared about. As for that brat, with one less burden around, he felt genuinely relieved.

The car sped along the road.

Sitting in the driver's seat, Conan looked at the woman driving seriously beside him and asked, "Auntie, who exactly are you?"

The woman called Fumiyo Edogawa laughed strangely. "Hehehehe. Didn't I already say it just now? I'm your mother. I wasn't lying."

Conan immediately retorted, "You're lying. My mother is..."

Fumiyo Edogawa cut him off. "Kudo Yukiko."

Conan instantly panicked. How did she know? Could it be that she already knew his true identity?

Ignoring Conan beside her, Fumiyo Edogawa drove while saying with a hint of pride, "That's right. Your mother is the beautiful Japanese actress who enchanted men all over the world and won a major award at the tender age of nineteen. But she fell in love with the young novelist Kudo Yusaku and married at twenty, so she retired at the height of her career. Later, she had a son. But now she's left that son here and gone overseas to live with her world-class mystery novelist husband, hasn't she? And you are her only son, Kudo Shinichi. I'm not wrong, am I?"

Conan's face was full of terror as he thought, How does she know so clearly? Could this person be an accomplice of that man in black who forced me to take the drug and made me shrink?

Thinking this, Conan was about to flip open the cover of his watch and shoot out the tranquilizer needle to knock out the woman in front of him.

Unfortunately, Fumiyo Edogawa was one step faster than him. She pointed a gun at him and said, "Don't you move. If you behave, I'll take you to a nice place. It's much more interesting there." As she spoke, she laughed strangely.

Taking advantage of the moment she laughed, Conan knocked the gun out of her hand, then stomped hard on the accelerator with his foot, making the car shoot forward at high speed.

Fumiyo Edogawa was startled. She flung Conan aside with a swing of her hand, hurriedly gripped the steering wheel, and slammed on the brake.

Conan seized the chance while she was braking, opened the car door, and quickly ran out. Taking advantage of the passing vehicles, he fled.

Seeing that Conan was about to get away, Fumiyo Edogawa shouted from inside the car to the people around her, "Someone, hurry and catch that child!"

Unfortunately, no one paid her any attention. She could only watch helplessly as Conan disappeared into the traffic.