During the days when Edogawa Conan was confused, trying to scientifically explain the “prophecy phenomenon.”
Jiang Xia drove a puppet to the black market and got his new bankbook.
The gold coins had been dealt with. After deducting various commissions, more than 700 million were left. The middleman’s fee was a bit exorbitant, but Anonymous was appearing in the black market for the first time, with no connections or credibility, so this price was still fair.
...
After getting the money, Jiang Xia remembered the energy cores for upgrading his ghosts, so he took some time to visit museums, jewelry stores, art galleries, and other similar places.
But just like a year ago, he couldn’t find what he was looking for.
The huge sum in his bankbook suddenly became tasteless.
Finally, Jiang Xia simply went to the green plant market and bought a few potted plants that were not cost-effective but very beautiful, and which he had wanted to buy before but hadn’t.
...
When the potted plants bloomed, Suzuki Sonoko sent a message: 【See you at the station tomorrow!】
Jiang Xia was stunned. The station?
After a moment of thought, he remembered. Last time, after the KTV turned into a murder scene, Suzuki Sonoko reluctantly offered another place to pick up ghosts... cough, a play spot—her sister's newly bought mountain villa.
...
Suzuki Sonoko is the daughter of the Suzuki Conglomerate chairman.
And Suzuki Conglomerate is synonymous with “wealthy” in this world.
Their family has a lot of villas, and what’s most enviable is that almost every single one experiences a murder.
While Jiang Xia was looking forward to it, he also had a slight question.
—There were too many Suzuki villas, and he wasn’t sure which one had an incident this time.
However, the unknown can sometimes be a surprise.
He would know the specifics once he got there.
...
Jiang Xia had already asked Amuro Tooru for leave.
The next day at noon, he packed his luggage and arrived at the Shinkansen station.
Soon, Jiang Xia found his three companions—Mouri Ran, Suzuki Sonoko, and the always-present Edogawa Conan.
...
The car ride was a bit boring.
On the way, Suzuki Sonoko tried to have a long conversation with Jiang Xia, but failed.
—It was clear that Jiang Xia was trying hard to chat with her, but they hadn't yet discovered common topics, and the conversation process was very difficult. In the end, Suzuki Sonoko tearfully decided to quit while she was ahead, lest she give Jiang Xia psychological trauma. Sustainable development was key.
Finally, Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran started talking about Edogawa Conan—this child who appeared out of nowhere.
Edogawa Conan didn't mind his classmates discussing his background, since the background of “Edogawa Conan” was all made up.
But seeing Jiang Xia also listening in... Edogawa Conan gradually became a little restless.
Last time, after leaving the KTV, Edogawa Conan felt that Jiang Xia had torn off his disguise.
He originally thought that Jiang Xia would ask him about shrinking afterward, but he didn't. Jiang Xia acted as usual, as if he hadn't discovered anything.
Edogawa Conan then comforted himself inwardly—even if “Edogawa Conan” looked exactly like “Kudo Shinichi as a child,” Jiang Xia, as his neighbor, had seen him often when he was little; even if Edogawa Conan suddenly appeared at Dr. Agasa's around the time Kudo Shinichi disappeared; even if Edogawa Conan often inadvertently acted not like an ordinary Elementary School Student, but like a polymath who knew a lot about various subjects, even if...
...
Edogawa Conan: “...”
...He couldn't deceive himself any longer.
—Jiang Xia must know that “Edogawa Conan” and “Kudo Shinichi” are related.
As for why he didn't ask... maybe he felt they weren't close enough and didn't want to pry into a neighbor's secret.
It could also be that Jiang Xia, as a Detective, deep down still couldn't accept something as absurd as an “adult shrinking,” which violates the law of conservation of matter, so he was deliberately avoiding it.
...
But now, Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran suddenly started talking about the flawed background of “Edogawa Conan”...
Edogawa Conan couldn't help but worry: If they continued talking like this, and Jiang Xia really came to ask about “shrinking,” what should he say?
If he told the truth, the topic would definitely involve that terrifying organization, thus dragging Jiang Xia in and causing Jiang Xia to also become a target for the Black Organization because he knew too much.
But if he lied... what lie could fool Jiang Xia?
Edogawa Conan thought for a moment and suddenly had an idea.
He jumped off his seat, intending to sneak to the restroom—perhaps if his classmates didn't see him, they wouldn't continue talking about “Edogawa Conan.”
Evasion, though shameless, was very effective.
...
Walking a distance down the train corridor, out of his classmates’ sight, Edogawa Conan breathed a sigh of relief.
Just then, the train stopped, and two people boarded the train one after another.
Edogawa Conan glanced inadvertently, saw the people who got on, and was suddenly startled.
—They were two very familiar tall Black-clothed men.
Edogawa Conan looked at the wide chin under the sunglasses of one of them, then at the long silver hair of the other, and his heart suddenly accelerated, cold sweat trickling down his cheeks.
...These were the two culprits who had given him that strange poison, causing him to shrink!