Conan: Ran, I really am Shinichi, you have to believe me!

Page 144

So, just after the five-minute commercial break in the middle of the live broadcast, the variety show's producer, Michihiko Suwa, died in the fourth-floor conference room.

He was shot in the forehead and died lying below the window. There were several bullet holes in the wall around the window behind him, and the bullets inside were the same ones that killed him in the head.

Meanwhile, there were scattered shell casings at the doorway opposite him, and the gun that killed him was also thrown onto his body by the murderer.

Michihiko Suwa was murdered during a five-minute commercial break in a live broadcast. At the time, the male host of the program, Takashi Matsuo, happened to be alone in the restroom and had no alibi.

At the same time, he had a conflict with the program's producer, Michihiko Suwa, who threatened to cancel the program, which was experiencing declining ratings, after this live broadcast and replace it with a variety show featuring beautiful women, while also removing him as the host.

In short, whether the original idea for the show came from Takashi Matsuo but was stolen by Michihiko Suwa who had powerful connections, or whether Takashi Matsuo was kicked out of the new show and discarded after being used, he had a motive to kill.

After the murder, the suspect was immediately identified as Takashi Matsuo. There was no classic three-way choice, so this was a proof question, not a multiple-choice question.

The reason for this proof question is that the complex structure of the elevators and staircases inside the TV station was originally designed to prevent them from being occupied by bandits or to delay the occupation in the event of a military coup. The internal staircases were deliberately divided into several sections, so that one could not go straight from the first floor to the top. One had to walk from the east side to the west side. The elevators in the upper section and the elevators in the lower section were not in the same place.

The internal elevators and staircases are complicated. During the 5 minutes of commercial breaks, the elevator surveillance cameras did not capture Matsuo Takashi riding the elevator up or down. He could only have run down the stairs from the 9th-floor studio to the 4th-floor conference room to kill Suwa Michihiko.

When the police arrived, Conan didn't even need to intervene. This time, the incompetent police and the clueless Kogoro Mouri immediately agreed that the culprit was Takashi Matsuo.

Faced with their accusations, Takashi Matsuo smiled confidently:

"Impossible. I didn't kill the person. It's impossible to run from the 9th-floor photography studio to the 4th-floor conference room, kill the person, and then run back to the 9th-floor photography studio in less than 5 minutes."

When I go to the restroom alone, the time I disappear from everyone's sight is at most the time of a 5-minute commercial break.

No, less than 5 minutes. After all, I left the studio when the commercials had already started, and I returned to the studio several tens of seconds earlier. So I disappeared from everyone's sight for a little over 4 minutes, less than 5 minutes.

There's simply not enough time to run from the 9th floor to the 4th floor and then back down to the 9th floor, so I didn't kill anyone; I didn't have the time.

Seeing that Inspector Megure and Kogoro Mori were swayed by Takashi Matsuo's confident words, Jiang Chengbei couldn't help but mutter from the side:

How do you know it can't be done in 4 minutes to go from the 9th floor to the 4th floor and back to the 9th floor?

Did you conduct the experiment beforehand?

Knowing that this is impossible, you're using this excuse as an alibi?

Upon hearing Jiang Chengbei's words, Inspector Megure, who was preparing to have Kogoro Mouri run from the 9th floor to the 4th floor and back to the 9th floor as an experiment, suddenly lit up.

“Brother Jiangcheng, what you said makes a lot of sense, but whether it’s really true, as Mr. Matsuo said, that it can’t be done in 5 minutes, we still need to experiment.”

Practice makes perfect, Mori-kun. We'd appreciate it if you could make the trip yourself; we need accurate figures to prove whether Mr. Matsuo is right or not.

"..." To Kogoro's utter dismay, he was caught red-handed and forced to run from the 9th-floor photography studio to the 4th-floor conference room and back.

Finally, Kogoro Mouri, who had been lacking in exercise, finished the race in 5 minutes and 55 seconds. Not only did he fail to meet the time limit, but he was also exhausted after the race, lying on the ground panting heavily, like a bellows. However, he had truly given it his all.

Seeing that the lean and wiry Kogoro Mori was running slower than him, while he himself was at least just over 5 minutes, Matsuo Takashi felt a little smug. He hadn't expected that Kogoro Mori, who was much thinner than him, would be even slower.

"I already said that it's completely impossible to complete this round trip in 4 or 5 minutes. Now I'm not a suspect, right?"

"Why not? Just tie a rope outside and rappel down from the window."

After killing someone, all you need to do is run back to the 9th floor from the 4th-floor conference room and then reel in the rope.

Besides, it's nighttime now, and it's pitch black outside. If we rappel down using a rope, it only takes a few dozen seconds. Adding the two minutes saved to climbing back up the stairs, four minutes is definitely enough.

"That makes sense, Brother Jiang Cheng is right." Hearing Jiang Chengbei's words, Inspector Megure was overjoyed and waved his hand, giving the order:

"Everyone, look around and see where there are ropes, where ropes have been tied, and whether there are any signs of someone climbing on the windows or the exterior walls."

After giving instructions to his subordinates, Inspector Megure said to Kogoro Mouri, "Brother Mouri, have you rested enough?"

If you've rested well, please do what Brother Jiangcheng suggested.

This time, we'll find a rope so you can quickly rappel down from the 9th-floor window to the 4th floor, and then run back up from the 4th floor.

Hearing Inspector Megure's gentle voice, Kogoro Mori, panting heavily, hugged his small chest and shook his head like a rattle drum.

"No, I won't do it! I'm afraid of heights, I can't do it, not even if you kill me! Brother Megure, please spare me!"

Due to a momentary oversight, Jiang Chengbei didn't remember that there was such a case in the original drama, so he was caught off guard and didn't notice that Matsuo Takashi went to commit murder during the commercial break.

Since they didn't catch Takashi Matsuo in the act of murder, and now there are so many people around, it's no longer possible to lure him into killing someone to cover it up. The only thing they can do now is to put him in jail and exchange that for another chance to transform into Conan/Shinichi Kudo.

Because he had forgotten that this case wasn't an open-book exam with no reference answers, Jiang Chengbei was surprised when he presented his own ideas. Even after seeing the method that could accomplish the assassination, Matsuo Takashi remained completely calm, neither stubbornly denying it nor hysterically blustering. Jiang Chengbei felt that Matsuo Takashi's method of killing might not be what he had described, otherwise he wouldn't have been so calm.

Since Takashi Matsuo wasn't using the method he had suggested, Jiang Chengbei had no choice but to follow Conan to investigate the case.

Anyway, the evidence will automatically appear in front of Conan's eyes, and he just needs to go and see it.

Sure enough, as Conan stared intently at the blood-stained windowpane, Jiang Chengbei remembered when Suwa Michihiko was shot; his head was pressed against the glass, otherwise there wouldn't be so much blood, and it would have a center with blood radiating outwards.

Moreover, this window is neither a common push-to-open nor a horizontally sliding window, but a flip-up window with the pivot horizontal in the middle. When the window is opened, only a very narrow gap appears at the top and bottom.

Pushing open the upper part of the glass, the lower part tilted inward, pressing down on the glass. Jiang Chengbei stuck his head out of the window and, through this limited gap, looked at the dark sky above with Conan.

Pushing open the lower half of the glass reveals the upper half protruding inwards. Their heads are below the glass, and they can only see the road below through the large gap between the glass and the windowsill, while the area above their heads is blocked by the glass.

After examining the crime scene with Conan, Jiang Chengbei followed Conan to the warehouse on the seventh floor, which was directly above the conference room on the fourth floor.

Inside the warehouse, Jiang Chengbei saw Conan find a hole in an umbrella and a white, viscous liquid left on the windowsill.

Seeing Conan dip his finger in the mixture, rub it, and then put it in his mouth to taste it, Jiang Chengbei felt nauseous and asked, "Conan, what is this?"

Because of Jiang Chengbei's interference, Conan was unable to go to Moonshadow Island and lost the chance to taste the traces and white powder left by the corpse with his fingers. So this time, he finally made up for the regret of not going to Moonshadow Island and was finally able to taste the white slime with his fingers:

"This is snot. Someone with a cold was here and stuck their head out the window to look down."

After saying that, Conan, just like the mysterious person who had appeared before, stuck his head out of the window and looked down.

The conditions were perfect; the window was positioned directly opposite the window in the conference room on the fourth floor where the deceased was located.

"Snapped……"

Conan stretched out his little hand, made the shape of a gun with his fingers, pointed it vertically at the window of the conference room on the 4th floor, and made a few imitation "snap" sounds.

Finally, Conan, determined to have a complete chain of evidence, even went to the street directly opposite the two windows and found a few drops of blood on the ground.

Having gathered all the clues, Conan's glasses reflected a white light, and he revealed a wicked smile, standing foolishly under the streetlight, chuckling strangely a few times.

"Jiang Cheng, after seeing all this with me, do you understand? Have you found the murderer's method and the evidence?"

Jiang Chengbei, not being Kogoro Mouri who had followed Conan for so long and had even encountered a proof problem today, naturally knew Matsuo Takashi's method of murder and had also found evidence.

So, seeing Jiang Chengbei nod without hesitation, Conan said with relief:

"Now that you've followed me around, figured out Matsuo Takashi's methods of murder, and found the evidence, this case is a bargain for you. Go and solve it."

Since Conan has exposed himself several times, and has helped criminals conceal and destroy evidence, given false testimony, and repeatedly gone back on his word, with these past records,

Especially in the cases Conan solved later, during the trials, some of the murderers hired excellent defense lawyers who argued that Conan, a suspect with a criminal record, was unreliable and could not be used as evidence in court. These lawyers overturned their convictions in court.

Having learned from these lessons, Conan's reasoning can no longer be used as evidence in court, so now he can only anesthetize Kogoro Mouri and use Kogoro Mouri's voice to deduce the truth.

In the world of famous detectives, detectives enjoy a high status. In many cases where there is insufficient evidence and the case cannot be solved, the reasoning of a renowned detective can be presented as evidence in court trials, and sometimes it can even be a major factor in the judgment.

Because a famous detective's reasoning can be an important factor in court, the murderer in the original series liked to ask the famous detective Kogoro Mouri to provide an alibi.

If the famous detective Kogoro Mouri can prove their alibi, they can easily be acquitted with the detective's testimony.

Because a famous detective's testimony is very important in court trials, Conan, who is morally flawed, is still a suspect, has repeatedly recanted his testimony, gone back on his word, and even gave false testimony for the murderer, has now lost his credibility. His reasoning cannot be used as evidence in court, so he can only ask Jiang Chengbei or Kogoro Mouri to explain his reasoning.

Otherwise, if he were to say it himself, how could the judge and jury in court believe that his reasoning was true, given his criminal record?

So last time on the cruise ship, Conan wanted to knock out Kogoro Mouri and use Kogoro Mouri's voice to deduce the truth.

This time, Jiang Chengbei followed him the whole time. Under his guidance, Jiang Chengbei uncovered the truth. So Conan generously gave Jiang Chengbei the chance to shine and let him do the deduction.

Conan acted very generously, and Jiang Chengbei accepted it without hesitation. He raised his hand, aimed at Conan's head, and gave him a tranquilizer dart.

Suddenly struck by a needle, Conan, before falling into a deep sleep, gritted his teeth and gritting his teeth, still unwilling to accept defeat.

He'd already given Jiang Chengbei all the chance to show off his reasoning skills, so why did he still need to drug him?

why?

If Conan doesn't figure this out, he won't be able to sleep soundly even if he falls asleep!

“I want to make a deal with the murderer. If he can give me a few small targets, I will keep his secret and help him destroy the evidence.”

"Conan, sleep soundly. I'll buy you a lollipop after I make some money off Takashi Matsuo."

"No!"

Despite his resentment, Conan, under the influence of the tranquilizer dart, couldn't resist the effects of the drug and eventually fell asleep amidst his rage.

After knocking Conan unconscious, Jiang Chengbei found a place to hide him, and then took the opportunity to secretly have a private chat with Takashi Matsuo.

Jiang Chengbei handed Matsuo Takashi several photos of an umbrella with holes, snot from a 7th-floor window, and bloodstains on the road directly below. He then explained to Matsuo Takashi how he killed Suwa Michihiko and offered several small targets as a condition for secrecy.

Chapter 203 Kogoro Mouri's Class Reunion

After seeing the evidence presented by Jiang Chengbei and hearing his account of the crime, Matsuo Takashi was both shocked and furious.

The only good news was that the person in front of him only wanted money and proposed a devilish clause that would bankrupt him and force him to be his dog and slave for the rest of his life, making money and working for him, serving him like a beast of burden while he was alive, and selling his organs and body after he died.

Matsuo Takashi would have tolerated ordinary extortion, but faced with the inhumane conditions offered by Jiang Chengbei, he immediately decided to kill him.

With police everywhere and unable to move freely, Matsuo Takashi feigned agreement to Jiang Chengbei's request, but inwardly prepared himself to kill him to cover it up.

We have no choice but to kill him. If we really do as Jiang Chengbei asks, he might as well just go to jail.

The reason I'm verbally agreeing to him now is simply to buy time and gamble on whether I can successfully kill him to cover my tracks and escape imprisonment.

Since I've already killed one person, killing one more won't make much of a difference. At most, I'll just spend a few more years in jail. If I'm brave enough, I might escape the police and not even have to serve a year in jail.

Matsuo Takashi developed murderous intent, and Jiang Chengbei finally obtained 1 kill coin. He then spent this 1 kill coin on the newly appeared Matsuo Takashi skill in the Science Shop.

Ghostly Appearance: When your friendship level with a character in the story reaches "Very Trust" or higher, you can teleport behind them.

Currently, a level 1 Ghost Descent can only be used once a day. If Ghost Descent is upgraded to level 2, it can be used twice a day, and so on.

Currently, if you reach the required friendship level, you can teleport to the following characters behind them: Ran, Kogoro Mouri, Yukiko, Akemi Miyano, Ai Haibara, Kaito Kuroba, and Juzo Inspector Megure.

Considering that Matsuo Takashi had given him 1 kill coin and a powerful movement skill, Jiang Chengbei didn't ask him for the rest of the kill coins.

To maximize profits, the plan was to take the unconscious Conan with him, help Takashi Matsuo cover up his crimes, then use the evidence in his hands to blackmail him, exploit him relentlessly, give him the opportunity to kill himself, and finally catch him on the spot when he kills himself, and take him to the police station to exchange for transformation times.

But now that he's given himself such a powerful movement skill, he won't give him any hope of escape. Instead of shattering that hope and torturing him further, it's better to just present the evidence, send him to the police station, and let him suffer less. That would be the best way to repay him.

So, after Jiang Chengbei received 1 kill coin and used it to buy the Ghost Descent skill, he went back on his word, produced evidence, and shot Matsuo Takashi through the window of the warehouse on the 7th floor in front of everyone, killing Suwa Michihiko, who was sticking his head out on the 4th floor as instructed by the phone.

Jiang Chengbei had previously suggested that the murderer could use a rope to rappel down from the outside to kill the person. Now, they have found Matsuo Takashi's real method of murder. Megure and the others are very happy and praise Jiang Chengbei, saying that he is much more capable than Kogoro Mouri, who is here as a detective this time.

Faced with overwhelming evidence, Takashi Matsuo, who was arrested, not only gave Jiang Chengbei a chance to transform himself, but also kept cursing Jiang Chengbei for being untrustworthy. He had already agreed to Jiang Chengbei's conditions, but Jiang Chengbei still reported him. He wanted to sue Jiang Chengbei for extortion.