“Oh, I don’t think so much. To be more precise, I can’t understand it, doctor.”

She tilted her head and continued boredly:

“However, only kind people have such thoughts of gain and loss. People who commission murders often eagerly hope that the other party will die because it is not a big deal. I think it would be better to add a selection committee to the matter of ‘death’ – a voting system. In this way, you will find that the so-called malice only needs an excuse, and the person himself may not even realize this. They are heading towards the end of selfishness. It is a good thing to think about your own mistakes… Checkmate!”

“I lost.” said Asai Narimi.

“Because I don’t feel guilty.”

Miss Winnett captured Asai Narimi’s king without hesitation, and then threw all the chess pieces to the ground with a quick swing of her arm, as if to say that she could ignore the rules at all.

She rarely showed an irritable expression, but she was just simulating the right mood. She was moody and suddenly showed a charming smile.

“Please clean it up, Dr. Chengshi. I’m a sick patient!”

At noon, Akane Tada returned with the two of them, and everyone bought souvenirs at the specialty store. Winnett remembered what Kimie said, that Kadowaki Saori was an employee of the specialty store. When she easily mentioned the murder, Winnett already knew that she had not done it yet. This was a gambler’s way of boosting courage, writing for her own end in advance to eliminate fear and also cut off the retreat. In fact, Kadowaki Saori was locked in the warehouse of the shrine, and her death stage had not yet begun.

Winette didn’t care whether Junhui’s hands were stained with blood or not. All she wanted was to perfect her disguise skills and play the cat-and-mouse game for the first time in a long time.

……

545 Actors enter

She was very energetic, which reassured Eri Kisaki and the others. In the afternoon, they were going to visit the shrine, and Winnett followed them. In a familiar scene, they met people they already knew and started a completely unfamiliar conversation. When Midori Kuriyama and Akane Takata asked about the mermaid story, Miss Winnett hummed a little song and walked around the square leisurely. After learning that tourists could also draw the dugong arrow, she raised her hand excitedly to participate. For a number plate that had been reserved long ago, she and Midori Kuriyama urged Eri Kisaki to participate as well, making the wife shy in pursuit of eternal youth.

“You can’t tell from her appearance that Miss Winnet is so lively.” Kuriyama Midori chewed on the dried seafood she bought on the island and talked to Kisaki Eri. Kisaki Eri didn’t really know her. The last time they met was when Xiaolan lost her memory, but she agreed with what Xiaolu said – she looked like a young and lively girl.

The green of chestnut mountain comes close to becoming fruit.

“Doctor Tono, you seem to be in a bad mood?”

“Ah, no.”

“You didn’t say a word the whole time.”

“Ah, I’m just fascinated by this ancient heritage. Besides, I’m not interested in immortality.”

“That’s right. Birth, aging, sickness and death are normal to Dr.

Hibiki Eri also chatted with Cheng Shi, praising him for having a medical qualification at such a young age, expressing her kindness towards a successful and independent girl. However, she got the gender wrong.

“It’s getting late, let’s go back to the hotel.”

Akane said she had ordered delicious seafood dishes for them to enjoy. She sent out an invitation letter, or rather, based on her connections, she learned that Kogoro and the others were ready to leave because of Hattori Heiji’s invitation. This coincidence not only surprised her, but also made Kisaki Eri speechless.

She already knew the boat schedule in advance, and they went to wait in front of the district office early the next morning.

The weather is gloomy.

The sun was not shining at all. Winnet sat on a bench not far from the entrance of the police station and looked up slightly, feeling that the heavens were looking miserable for this sin. Except for her and Cheng Shi, the other women were interested in the gloomy coast. The waves were stained with gloomy blue, and the deep sea seemed to be floating with gray fog – although the sight was clear. In the distance, a passenger ship different from the one they took was heading here. It was a weekly voyage. Fei Yingli couldn’t help but say: It would be better and more coincidental if it was one day later.

However, this was not a complaint, but an expectation of seeing her daughter and seeing her joy. Winette just stared at the sky, and when they passed the news back, she did the same. Kuriyama Midori asked her if she was praying in her heart, and she said yes, both praying and repenting, for the upcoming sins, and also slandering other sinners. Seeing the ship coming here, her face changed slightly, and she became more interested. The roaring whistle came from the side of the sea, and gradually the ship docked, but not too many people got off the ship – this ship had to go somewhere else.

“It’s mom!” Xiaolan ran over from the shore with joy, “Hello, Miss Winnet and Miss Kuriyama.” She turned her eyes to Akane Fanta and Narimi. She was kind-hearted and would not ignore anyone’s feelings. Winnet’s little makeup skills also worked, and she did not see the shadow of Asai Narimi.

A subsequent group of people appeared.

There was one more person coming than Winnet had expected, He Ye also came. She thought that they were really inseparable, so why not just register for marriage?

With two social experts, Kuriyama Midori and Toyama Kazuha, there was no awkward situation caused by too many strangers. Even the difficult-looking Akane introduced herself easily. Toyama Kazuha even called her auntie affectionately, and her relationship with Kisaki Eri progressed rapidly.

Calling an older woman “sister” or something like that might be a good idea if the two parties don’t know each other, but if they are of the same generation as her daughter, it’s better to be polite, otherwise it’s easy to make the atmosphere awkward. Miss Winette claims to be a social person, so she won’t have such worries, and it’s enough to just bring a description of her occupation. Conan and Hattori subconsciously leaned towards her, as if the three of them were accomplices who knew each other well.

To this, Winnet only wants to say——

Hattori, don’t come over here!

Miss Winnett didn’t want to be a false rival. You know, Toyama Kazuha has broken through the limits of jealousy. She is like a canned herring biochemical weapon, targeting every woman around Hattori equally. Including now, she can feel the gaze from her.

“Strange, I didn’t see that guy Huiyuan.”

“We’re not together all the time,” Winnett said with a smile. “Is today another holiday, little detective?”

“Yes.”

He said as a matter of course, giving Winnet a strange look.

“What about tomorrow?”

The answer is the same.

This means that the next holiday may come earlier than Winette expected. Winette was not anxious, and the frequency of relaxation was just right, giving Xiao Ai enough space. She always remembered to keep private space. Even nuns have private matters. It is impossible to stare at her every day and ask her to read doctrine or hit her hands. She took a deep breath and could see the gray mist. Today was indeed very gloomy and cold. It was a perfect day for sin.

Fortunately, Hattori did not chat with her enthusiastically. He poured some cold water on this happy gathering, emphasizing that his purpose from the beginning was to start with Kimie’s letter – it was an invitation letter she sent as “Kadowaki Saori”, saying that the mermaid was asking for help. Originally, this was a confusing letter, but it had a phone number attached. Kimie told him to hear the sound of the waves and the voice of the woman Shinjin, as if to confirm the legend of being captured by a mermaid or becoming a mermaid, which made people shudder.

Eri Kisaki showed a bored expression, as if saying “So you came here for the case”, and she didn’t care about Kogoro. This made the girl who wanted to bring them together suffer, and she missed a great opportunity. However, emotions are emotions, and mature women don’t delay in doing things, saying that the safety of Kadowaki Saori is still the most important. Kuriyama Midori is very interested in the couple working together to solve the case, and she also gets along well with Kazuha. Then she unconsciously turned to the topic of love, and she cheered Kazuha up with her eyes.

Conan asked Winnet if she had heard of Saori Kadowaki, and she denied it. She said that she and her group had also come to the island yesterday, and knew nothing about it except for a few scenic spots. Unlike the detectives, they had no special purpose for coming here, and if there was any, it was the Dugong Festival. Finally, before they entered the government office, Winnet patted Cheng Shi’s shoulder and whispered:

“Well, the disguise was successful, wasn’t it?”

“Ah, yes.”

He smiled and sighed.

……

546 Even Demons Have Strong and Weak Characters

“What? You said Miss Kadowaki Saori is currently missing?”

“Yes, it seems that she didn’t show up for work three days ago.”

After Kogoro asked the staff of the office, he got a not-so-surprising but dangerous answer. And three days ago, it was exactly when the letter was sent to Hattori’s house.

The staff member is not worried about this, he said:

“But the neighbors are wondering if she took a boat to the mainland for fun.”

As he spoke, other islanders passing by called out his name. The staff excused themselves by saying they had to go prepare for the festival.

“What festival?”

“Don’t you know?” Eri Kisaki told him, “Today is the day of the annual Dugong Festival on this island.”

“That’s right… If you want to know more, you can go to the souvenir shop on the corner where Saori works and ask the owner.” After he finished speaking, he left with the islanders.

They moved to souvenir shops.

Akane Fanda and her friends had been there once yesterday, but this time a young girl joined them, which made Miss Kuriyama’s host soul burn brightly.

The souvenir shop was full of mermaid-related products. Although they were not mermaids, they were the ugly mermaids from Japan. However, the pendants were mermaid-like, and it was obvious that they were using mermaids as a publicity gimmick. Of all the items, Miss Winette was only interested in the mermaid pie. If Kogoro hadn’t monopolized the boss lady, she would have bought it.

“What is a dugong?” and Ip Man Hattori.

“It is also commonly known as a mermaid, a mammal that lives on the seafloor. In fact, in the past, they were also found in southern Japan. Since ancient times, dugong meat has been regarded as an elixir of immortality.”

On the other hand, the proprietress mentioned the dugong arrow.

“It’s a talisman for immortality. Every year, three dugong arrows are awarded to villagers at the annual dugong festival. Saori accidentally lost the arrows she got at the festival last year, so she was very scared a week ago – she was afraid that the mermaids would come for revenge.”

“Where are the mermaids in this world?”

“There are indeed mermen in the world.”

A woman’s voice suddenly came from behind them.

The boss lady recognized her. She was the Naoko Kuroe that Kimie mentioned. Winnett was impressed by the name. She looked over and saw that the woman was wearing a black long-sleeved top, a work apron, short black hair, and neat makeup.

She continued:

“Because there are real cases of people becoming immortal after eating mermaid flesh, and the dugong arrow made by the hair that the longevity woman grew with telekinesis can make anyone who gets it realize the dream of immortality. It’s natural for her to be afraid of the mermaid’s revenge and run away from the island after losing such an important arrow.”

After leaving these words in a mysterious way, she turned away. When Kogoro asked her name, the proprietress said that Kuroe was a friend of Kadowaki Saori who grew up together, and as for the longevity woman, she was the protagonist of today’s festival. From Kimie’s own narration, Winette knew that she was also the one who played the longevity woman. In such a large family, she was the only one left to play two roles. She was a pitiful person, and now she had to do something pathetic.

“So, how old is that old lady actually now?” Hattori asked.

“Well… many people say she is a hundred or two hundred years old. If you want to know, I suggest you go to the shrine on the island where the festival is held.”

“shrine?”

“Mrs. Shimabukuro’s great-granddaughter, Kimie, grew up with Saori. She should be there.”

Being kicked around like a ball was not unfamiliar to the detectives. After calling out to the girls who were still choosing souvenirs, they went to the American Shrine together again. This time, they saw Jun Hui holding a paper whisk in front of the shrine. She was wearing a traditional red and white shrine maiden costume with a skirt that covered her feet. Her face was normal, and she didn’t find it strange to see Winnet and Cheng Shi. The whisk in her right hand rested on her shoulder as if it was an itch. Jun Hui acted like a young girl, and you couldn’t tell that she was actually 27 years old. In Winnet’s opinion, her appearance was similar to Mingmei, and even her temperament was very similar. Even her stubborn personality was the same.

This temperament attracted Winnet very much, but the pity was that they needed to experience destruction before they could be complete. In her aesthetic concept, the sense of brokenness occupied a large proportion. Compared with the ordinary things they showed, a heart full of scars but still strong was a beautiful thing that even people who could not empathize with them would feel regretful.

After Kimie heard the age rumor that Kogoro mentioned, she tapped her whisk and replied:

“How could my great-grandmother be 200 years old? In fact, my great-grandmother turned exactly 130 this year. You can find out right away if you check the household registration.”

Junhui acted helpless and said that her great-grandmother just lived longer than ordinary people.

Her indifferent attitude was in stark contrast to their dumbfounded attitude.

Conan thought that this should be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

“Then may I ask, where is your great-grandmother now?” Hattori looked around and said, there was only an empty square here.

“She is in her room, praying for the arrows that will be sent out for the celebration tonight.”

“Let me ask you, did your great-grandmother really eat mermaid meat?” Kogoro is actually quite concerned about superstitious legends.

Jun Hui was dumbfounded, then she clenched her fist and clasped it under her chin and laughed:

“It seems that there is no such animal as mermaid in this world! Those are all made up stories!”

“But the dugong arrow is not…”

“In fact, the arrow before only represented a forbidden arrow that was cast with a spell to exorcise demons and ward off evil spirits, but the people on the island associated it with mermaids and arbitrarily changed its name to the dugong that lives in the sea. This is what my mother told me.” Jun Hui explained with a frown.

Even though she only made a slightly troubled expression, Asai Narumi could still see her complicated feelings about it, because this could be said to be the cause of all the tragedies, and it was definitely not as easy to talk about as it seemed.

Xiaolan shared the same sorrow as him. She said:

“So your mother has passed away.”

“Yes, she and my father died in the sea five years ago. Even my grandparents disappeared while on a boat trip before I was born.”

“Your entire family disappeared at sea. There must be a reason for this, right?”

He Ye asked a little panicked, his emotional intelligence was a little low.

“Nothing! Not long ago, Saori and I took a boat trip to the mainland, but nothing happened there,” she replied.

This answer shocked several detectives who were worried about Kadowaki Saori, and they hurriedly asked Kimie when it happened. The answer was four days ago. Kimie did not blur her and Saori’s identities, and answered in the way she agreed with Winette:

“That’s when she asked me to accompany her to the mainland to see a dentist because we don’t have one on the island at the moment.”

“Was Saori emotionally stable at that time?” Kogoro asked.

“She said she had lost her dugong arrow and was terribly scared. She also said she was afraid the mermaids would seek revenge on her. I tried to comfort her and told her that this would never happen, but she wouldn’t listen.”

As soon as she finished speaking, a woman walked over from the side of the shrine.

“You are so stupid! You say that because you don’t believe in your great-grandmother’s power at all.”

“Sumi?”

“She really has magical powers, and she has indeed eaten mermaid flesh before. You also know that the corpse of a mermaid appeared three years ago, right?”

Which pot does not open which pot.

Ebihara Sumi, the last offering has arrived.

Winnet despised their obsession because it was not based on doctrine or faith, but simply the pursuit of self-interest – for the unrealistic immortality, they were like a group of desires running towards the devil. Winnet did not think she was nobler than them, but regarded them as poisonous insects in a breeding pond. Gu also has strong and weak points. Demons who have lost the bottom line of order always devour the weak.

The detectives were all attracted by her words.

Like Chengshi, Xiaolan also watched the news on TV three years ago.

“That’s just an exaggeration by the TV station,” Jun Hui said.

“What are you talking about? You clearly saw the mermaid’s bones being broken. It was so weird!”

As she continued to violate Jun Hui’s taboo, a large hand was placed on her shoulder.

“Stop talking, Emi.”

“Lu Lang?” She turned her head.

“There are many things that are not convenient to say in front of outsiders.” said the man.

His skin color is similar to Hattori’s, and this bronze color is normal on an isolated island surrounded by the sea. One can’t help but suspect that Hattori’s ancestors also migrated to Osaka from a coastal village or an isolated island. Winnett has seen his parents, and they don’t have the same skin color. The answer can only be genetic inheritance. The man stood up and said to them with great courage: