Chapter 301 Turning the Wheel of Fortune
A week later.

Rice Flower Town, Leya Cafe.

Naomi Argent sat curled up in a booth by the window, turning her head to look out the window from time to time. The midday sun slanted across her tense face, and her ten fingers were nervously folded on the tablecloth in front of her, and it was unclear whether she was excited or nervous.

Not long after, as two familiar figures, one big and one small, appeared in her sight, she jumped up from her seat with her pupils constricted.

Makino looked at Naomi, who was obviously very excited, and chuckled, “Ms. Naomi, I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. Long time no see~ This person next to me is… Judging from your expression, I don’t need to introduce her again, right?”

“Ah? No…I…” Naomi looked down at Haibara Ai beside Makino and was speechless for a moment.

Although she had already found the shrunken Miyano Shiho through the cross-age recognition system, and by comparing the “older woman” who appeared next to the “old and young Miyano Shiho” in the surveillance footage, she roughly confirmed that the “child” that appeared later in the footage was the Miyano Shiho she knew, but she still had doubts in her heart.

At this moment, looking at the “mini” Miyano Shiho in front of her who was almost exactly the same as in her memory, the emotions in her eyes became extremely complicated.

On the one hand, she was extremely happy to see again the benefactor whom she had wanted to see for so many years.

On the other hand, after personally experiencing the “Ocean Buoy Incident”, she also had a certain understanding of the mysterious terrorist organization. She simply could not imagine what Shiho Miyano, who seemed to have some connection with that organization, had experienced over the years.

At this moment, Huiyuan Ai looked at the “old friend” in front of her who had been staring at her face since they met, with a helpless expression: “Um…what do you want to say? Let’s sit down and talk?”

“Ah! Sorry!!” Naomi finally came out of her thoughts and quickly extended her hand to invite Makino and Haibara Ai to sit down.

After everyone sat down, Naomi smiled sheepishly, stared at Huihara Ai in front of her, and slowly said to confirm: “It may be a bit rude of me to say this, but are you…are you really Shiho?”

Under Naomi’s expectant gaze, Huihara Ai glanced at Makino beside her, then slowly shook her head and said, “Haven’t you already used that system to investigate? But my name is now Huihara Ai.”

“Haibara Ai…” Naomi let out a long sigh, and a relieved smile bloomed on her face.

“Shiho, I didn’t expect that after all these years, your personality hasn’t changed.”

Although her body had become smaller, the “calmness and indifference” she displayed was exactly the same as the Miyano Shiho in her memory.

After a moment’s silence, Naomi suddenly bowed her head and said in a serious tone: “Actually, I have always…always wanted to apologize to you in person! At that time, I was very afraid of being bullied by those kids again, so I didn’t dare to help you. Obviously, you were targeted by those kids because you helped me.

My original intention in developing that system was to eliminate the barriers of race and age. Later, Interpol found me, and after I joined them, I immediately used the permissions they gave me to access Japan’s surveillance cameras. I didn’t expect to find you! “

Haibara Ai looked at Naomi who was talking in front of her, a strange light flashed in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but raise a slight arc.

Although she did not have many memories of this “old friend” in front of her, she undoubtedly felt the other party’s “apology” and “sincerity” from his words and expression.

“Friend? What a familiar yet strange word~”

Unlike her sister who has always lived in a “normal” environment, she has been trained as a researcher by the organization since she was a child. Apart from studying, the only word in her life is research.

Until she escaped from the organization.

His life was originally filled with despair, but his encounter with Ryuichi Makino led to a radical change.

A safe and comfortable life, a sister who faked her death and reappeared…

All of this happened after she became “Haihara Ai”.

Therefore, even though she had learned from Makino that “the organization has been completely destroyed”, she did not change back to her real name, and insisted on calling herself “Haihara Ai”, and came to meet Naomi in the body of “Haihara Ai”.

Not long after, Naomi looked down at the time on her phone and said with her hands covering her mouth, “Ah! It’s already this late! I have to rush to a meeting… I’m so sorry! You guys specifically…”

Before Naomi could finish, Makino glanced at the smiling Huihara Ai beside him, chuckled and shook his head, saying, “Don’t worry about it. You will have many opportunities to meet in the future. You are of similar age and are ‘old classmates’. You can meet and get together often in the future, right?”

Hearing this, Naomi’s eyes lit up and she nodded excitedly.

If nothing unexpected happens, she will live in Tokyo for the next few years and rebuild the ocean buoy.

Although the ocean buoy had been destroyed, the aftermath of the previous “big operation” had not yet ended, so Interpol headquarters had no spare energy to re-arrange Director Makino Yosuke, Naomi and others.

According to the “inside information” obtained by Makino, Makino Yosuke, Naomi and other Interpol police officers will temporarily stay in Tokyo to work on the reconstruction project of the “Ocean Buoy”.

……

Not long after, in Makino’s car.

After coming out of the cafe, Makino prepared to drive Haibara Ai home.

Makino glanced at Huiyuan Ai beside him and chuckled, “How does it feel to meet an old friend?”

“Although we are old friends, I hardly communicated with her back then.” At this point, Huiyuan Ai suddenly smiled, “But… this feeling is not bad~”

“Really? That’s good~” Makino nodded with a smile.

Compared to when we first met, Haibara Ai has indeed changed a lot.

Although it was a bit strange to think this way, Makino still felt an inexplicable sense of relief when he saw with his own eyes that the people around him had changed to varying degrees under his “influence”.

At this moment, Huiyuan Ai turned to look at Makino and asked in confusion: “By the way, I forgot to ask you before, where did you get the detailed research data and finished products of ‘APTX-4869’ and ‘Silver Bullet’?”

“Huh? Didn’t I tell you last time? Of course I got it from Karasuma Renya… the boss of the organization. I wasted a lot of time trying to find these things he hid~” Makino chuckled.

Hearing this, Huibara Ai was stunned for a moment.

After coming to her senses, she immediately stared at Makino with a shocked expression: “What?! You really met the boss of the organization?!”

“Well, don’t worry, he and Rum are happily vacationing in another world~” Makino chuckled.

Haibara Ai:”?”

After a moment’s silence, Huihara Ai chuckled and shook her head: “I have carefully studied the information you gave me these days. There is nothing wrong with the two drug information. Not only are the contents very detailed, but there are also a lot of reliable experimental data. But…”

At this point, Huiyuan Ai put away her smile, her expression gradually became complicated and solemn, and a deep puzzlement flashed in her eyes: “Since the organization already has such complete drug information and finished products, then what is the point of my research over the years?”

Not to mention the “Silver Bullet” that she didn’t know much about, as a former medical expert of the organization, she believed that her understanding of “APTX-4869” was no worse than any other researcher, or even better.

This is also the fundamental reason why the organization… or Gin and others did not hesitate to take her sister as a “hostage” and force her to stay in the organization to study this medicine.

But after reading the detailed APTX-4869 information and finished products provided by Makino Shin, her first reaction was “impossible”.

——Because this information is obviously the “final version” of APTX-4869!
In other words, the organization had actually already developed the so-called APTX-4869, and she had been studying something that had already been studied by others!
The “research projects” she had received before were almost no different from the projects in the materials!

Since there is no difference, why would the organization waste so much manpower, material resources, and even time to let these researchers study a drug that has already been manufactured? !

You can’t be looking for trouble, right? !

After seeing the expression on Huihara Ai’s face, Makino nodded and said, “This is just my guess. Karasuma Renya asked you to study the medicine that has already been researched, probably to see if you can get something ‘new’ from the research.

In addition, the moment he gained immortality, the organization changed from a convenient tool to a stumbling block that hindered him.

But for some reason, he couldn’t and wouldn’t disband the organization directly, so he could only do it slowly, stabilizing the organization and quietly hiding behind the scenes, while gradually pushing Rum, the ‘second in command’, to the front. “

Upon hearing this, Haibara Ai fell into a brief silence.

At this moment, Makino took out a glass bottle containing an unknown medicine from his pocket and handed it to Haibara Ai.

“what is this?”

“This is the real elixir of life, and unlike APTX-4869 and the silver bullet, it has no side effects. After the antidote and the silver bullet are studied, you can take some time to study this and see if you can find anything~”

“What did you say?!”

Haibara Ai looked at the medicine bottle in her hand in shock, her expression dazed.

Makino glanced at Huibara Ai, who was completely stunned in her seat, and the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

This pill was one of the pills he took out from the medicine bottle he got last time.

Karasuma Renya spent his entire life, spent the time and lives of countless people involved, and even gambled his own remaining life, to develop the so-called “elixir of life with an extremely high mortality rate.”

But the medicine bottle he got contained dozens of elixirs without any side effects.

Even Makino found it extremely absurd.

According to the system’s description, this medicine has exceeded the scope of “medicine” and “human power”. But Makino still wants Huiyuan Ai to try it. After all, for the ancients, flying into the sky and diving into the sea were also beyond the scope of human power.

……

Kudo residence, in the living room.

Makino, Kudo Yusaku and others sat on the sofa, discussing matters related to the Black Organization.

A week has passed since the last “Global Action”.

During this week, Kudo Yusaku used almost all his means to piece together an incredible piece of important information from countless small pieces of intelligence:
——The global anti-terrorism operation that took place before targeted only one terrorist organization, and that was the Black Organization that had been troubling them.

Since the operation has not yet been completely completed, the friends mentioned by Kudo Yusaku cannot reveal more information.

During that operation, intelligence organizations around the world captured many members of the Black Organization.

Until now, intelligence organizations of various countries have not even completed the most basic step of “interrogation”.

After briefly explaining the information he knew, Kudo Yusaku looked at Makino across from him, frowned, and said, “Makino, what do you think of this?”

Makino: “?”

Although it was Yusaku Kudo who spoke, for some reason, Makino vaguely saw the shadows of Inspector Megure and others behind him.

The last time Inspector Megure and others asked me “what do you think” was last time.

After thinking for a while, Makino shook his head and said, “Although this matter is very suspicious, it is a good thing for us anyway.”

Kudo Yusaku nodded and said, “That’s right, but my friend in the FBI also told me a strange internal rumor. It is said that Deputy Director Raymond, who issued the order for that operation, never admitted that it was his order…”

At this point, Kudo Yusaku turned his head and glanced at Conan, then sighed softly, “I originally wanted to stay in Tokyo for a while, but now it seems I have to change my plan. I want to go abroad as soon as possible to conduct an investigation, at least to find out whether the Black Organization has really been destroyed.

Shinichi, don’t act rashly before I pass on the information and investigate it clearly. If you encounter any problems, you must follow Makino’s instructions. Makino, you must also be more careful during this period!”

Without waiting for Makino and Conan to speak, Kudo Yusaku immediately stood up from the sofa and nodded to Yukiko beside him: “The time is almost up, we have to leave to catch the plane.”

Yukiko smiled and nodded, then turned to look at Makino and Conan: “Ryuichi, Shinichi, we’ll leave first~ If we find anything, we’ll call you~”

Makino: “?”

Didn’t we just sit down and have a chat?

Aren’t you two a little too aggressive?
After the Kudo Yusaku couple left, Conan sighed helplessly, turned to look at Makino beside him, and slowly said: “Just get used to it, they have always been like this.”

Makino blinked and spoke slowly: “By the way, there is news about the explosion case you asked me about last time. The case has been taken over by the police, and all the relevant information has been taken away by their people.

The confidentiality of the case is not very high. They believe that the three unidentified men should be important members of the Black Organization. As for the conclusion of the case… it is simply “suicide” and “escape from justice.”

Conan frowned and said, “Really? No wonder they are so careless. After all, that just happened. Compared to the three Black Organization members whose identities are unknown, their investigation should focus on the captured Black Organization members.”

Makino nodded and said, “You are right. Oh, and there is another good thing for you. By collecting the data of your previous medications, the real antidote may be successfully developed within one or two months.”

“Really?!” Conan asked excitedly.

Makino chuckled and nodded: “Yes, if the Black Organization has really been destroyed, then after you get the antidote, you can turn back into Kudo Shinichi.”

Conan was about to jump up to celebrate when he suddenly remembered something and his expression suddenly became extremely melancholy: “Officer Makino, do you think I should tell Xiaolan about all this? And those children…”

“Why are you asking me? This is something you should consider yourself, right? Let’s not talk about Xiaolan for now, as for those children… haven’t you wanted to leave them a long time ago?” Makino looked at Conan curiously.

Conan nodded silently, his face solemn: “You are right, but I don’t know why, in my heart… Oh, let me think about how to say goodbye to them completely…”

……

In the evening, at Makino’s house.

——“Boom, boom!”

After hearing the knock on the door, Makino got up from the sofa in the living room.

A moment later, Furutani Rei, holding a large picnic basket in his left hand and a bottle of “bourbon whiskey” in his right hand, smiled and nodded to Makino.

After seeing several bottles of fine wine on the table in the living room, he shook his head and smiled: “If I had known earlier, I wouldn’t have brought this wine. You actually prepared so many fine wines~”

Makino chuckled and said, “It’s okay, let’s drink the wine you brought first. By the way, Fūya, this should be your first ‘official’ visit to my house, right?”

Fūya Ling scratched his head embarrassedly: “There’s nothing I can do. After all, you know that my situation is special…”

Makino waved his hand casually: “Okay, let me try it first to see if your cooking skills have deteriorated. Let’s eat and talk~”

Fūya Rei put the basket in his hand next to the dining table and chuckled, “Okay, I haven’t been drunk for a long time! Anyway, I’m going to rest for the next half a month, how about we drink to our heart’s content? By the way, Makino, I haven’t seen you drunk yet, can you really not get drunk?

Makino narrowed his eyes and said, “Oh? Actually, I have also taken a long vacation recently. I have already made an appointment to take Ayako and the others out to sea for fun.”

“…”

After three drinks.

Fūya Ling looked down at the wine glass in his hand, frowned and said: “Makino, I might get a promotion.”

Makino chuckled and said, “Isn’t this a good thing? If you hadn’t been on undercover missions, you should have been promoted to superintendent long ago with your qualifications. You look so gloomy, and people who don’t know would think you were going to be demoted~”

Fūya Rei shook his head and smiled, “No, I just didn’t expect my undercover career to end so suddenly, and it ended so inexplicably. You should also know what happened abroad, right? That afternoon, intelligence organizations around the world launched a sweeping operation against the Black Organization at the same time, as if they had discussed it in advance.”

Makino nodded.

Furuya Rei continued: “Although there are still many doubts and many areas that have not been investigated clearly, what is certain at present is that even if the legendary second-in-command of the organization, Rum, and the boss are still alive, the organization cannot be “reborn” in a short period of time.”

At this point, Fūya Rei sighed and said, “Makino, after a while, should we call Zhufu back?”

Makino nodded and said, “Yeah, I thought so too. I remember that Mizunashi Reina has gone there to see her brother, right? She seems to be planning to move abroad with her brother because her brother also seems to want to join the CIA.”

Fūya Rei raised the wine glass in his hand and frowned, saying, “Makino, I don’t know why, but I always feel like we haven’t gotten together properly for many years. Even though we used to get together often until two years ago.

The same thing goes for Hagiwara. He has only been training for less than two months, but I feel like he has been training for several years…”

Makino smiled and shook his head, but did not directly answer the question: “You are right, Hagiwara’s training should be over soon. When his training is over, let’s have a good get-together. This time… no one should need to wear a mask, right?”

Just after he got rid of Karasuma Renya, “the time of this world” briefly returned to normal, and he spent five consecutive days of “adjacent dates”.

But since yesterday, time has become chaotic again.

——Yesterday was June 6th, but today is July 18th.

This discovery made Makino puzzled, and at the same time, he came up with an unfounded and very bold guess:
——It’s not just the winery that causes the time disorder in this world, there are other factors as well.

After all, this world not only has Conan, but also Kaito Kidd.

In addition to the winery, there is also a mysterious organization whose goal is to achieve “immortality”.

However, unlike that organization, the purpose of that organization is to find the legendary cursed gem that can bring immortality – “Pandora”.

Thinking of this, the shadow of “Kuroba Kaito” suddenly appeared in Makino’s mind, and the corners of his mouth raised slightly: “Kaito-kun, come to think of it, we haven’t been together for a long time~”

……

At the same time, above rice flowers.

——“A-choo!”

Kuroba Kaito, who was testing his new hang glider under the moonlight, suddenly felt cold all over.

After sneezing, Kuroba Kaito looked at his clothes in confusion and frowned, “That’s not right. It’s so hot and I’m wearing so many clothes…”

(END)
(End of this chapter)