116: Chapter 116 The Terrified Kudo Family

In the study of the Kudo villa, the pendulum of an old-fashioned wall clock swayed gently, emitting a rhythmic 'tick-tock' sound, as if setting the beat for this sudden conversation.

Outside the window, the sky had already darkened, and the neon lights of Tokyo shone through the gaps in the blinds, casting long, thin shadows on the floor.

Kudo Yusaku put down his cigar, the butt leaving circles of ash in the crystal ashtray.

He turned around, his face wearing a rare look of gravity—this world-renowned mystery novelist, who could remain composed even when facing the most complex cases, now had his brows tightly locked, his eyes hiding an undisguisable anxiety.

"Yusaku, what on earth happened?"

Kudo Yukiko sat on the leather sofa, her fingers nervously twisting the hem of her velvet skirt. She had just returned from Paris after shooting a magazine cover and hadn't even had a chance to recover from jet lag before being called to the study by her husband; judging by his expression, it was clearly no small matter.

Conan (Kudo Shinichi) sat on a small stool nearby, clutching a throw pillow, feeling anxious as well.

Ever since he turned into a primary school student, the Kudo Family had known no peace, but this was the first time he had seen Yusaku looking as if he were facing a formidable enemy.

Kudo Yusaku walked to the desk, picked up the satellite phone he had just hung up, and tapped his knuckles lightly against the device:

"I just received a call from an old friend of mine in the United States, a former consultant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation named Alan. What he said might change our current situation."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully: "Over in the United States, a second person who has 'reverted to childhood' has appeared."

"What?!"

Kudo Yukiko and Conan Edogawa exclaimed in unison. Yukiko stood up abruptly from the sofa, her high heels making a crisp sound against the floor:

"You mean... besides Shinichi, someone else has turned small?"

Conan Edogawa's heart also began to pound wildly.

He had always thought that he was the only one who had experienced the side effects of APTX4869.

Now that a second 'kind' had suddenly appeared, and in the United States at that, what did this mean?

"Alan said that the person is a middle-aged woman, originally an intelligence officer from the UK, who turned into a little girl due to some kind of accident."

Kudo Yusaku's voice lowered, "What's more troublesome is that her identity has already been exposed."

"Exposed?!"

Conan Edogawa's pupils contracted sharply, "By whom? The Black Organization?"

"Worse than that."

Kudo Yusaku shook his head, picked up an encrypted file on the desk, and projected it onto the wall—

The screen instantly displayed dense English reports, with shocking headlines: 'Mysterious Ageless Girl Appears in New York, Suspected of Possessing the Key to Longevity,' 'Morgan Zaibatsu Offers 10 Billion Reward in Search of Rejuvenation Secret,' 'Central Intelligence Agency Intervenes in Investigation, Suspected Connection to Cold War Human Experiments.'

"It's the Zaibatsu in the United States."

Kudo Yusaku pointed to the family crests in the reports, "Rockefeller, Morgan, DuPont... these giants who control the economic lifeline of the United States are all targeting this person."

"They believe that 'rejuvenation' is a shortcut to eternal life, and to get her, they have mobilized all the power they can—some senior officials in the FBI have been bought off, Central Intelligence Agency Agents are hunting her globally, and even assassin organizations in the underworld have been dragged into this."

Looking at those shocking words on the screen, Conan Edogawa felt a chill rise up his spine.

He finally understood why his father had been so nervous after his own shrinkage was discovered—

If the secret of 'rejuvenation' became known to the whole world, then he, and even the entire Kudo Family, would become targets for those Zaibatsu.

"That person... how is she now?"

Conan Edogawa's voice trembled slightly. He dared not imagine if his own identity were exposed, whether he would also be hunted as an 'experimental subject' like the report said.

Kudo Yusaku's eyes darkened:

"Alan said that she is currently being protected by a group of mysterious people and is on the run."

"But the American Zaibatsu have already blocked all exit channels, and they have even strengthened security at the borders of neighboring Canada and Mexico; the possibility of her escaping is minimal."

He turned off the projector, walked over to Conan Edogawa, crouched down, and looked him straight in the eyes:

"Shinichi, do you understand what this means?"

Conan Edogawa nodded vigorously. This meant that the secret of APTX4869 was no longer the exclusive property of the Black Organization; it had become the prey of greedy people all over the world.

And he, this 'living evidence,' would face unimaginable consequences if exposed.

"Those Zaibatsu are even more terrifying than the Black Organization."

Kudo Yusaku's tone was exceptionally serious, "The Black Organization wants power and wealth, while these people want 'eternal life'."

"For this goal, they can mobilize state apparatuses, ignore laws and morals, and turn anyone into a pawn."

"Alan told me that three Agents who tried to protect that woman have already 'died accidentally.' The crime scenes were staged perfectly, and even the autopsies couldn't find any flaws."

Kudo Yukiko's face instantly turned pale. She covered her mouth, fighting back tears:

"Then what do we do? With Shinichi like this, what if he gets discovered..."

"That's why we must be more careful."

Kudo Yusaku held his wife's hand, his eyes firm,

"From today on, all of Conan Edogawa's activities must be controlled within a range we can manage. As for the Mouri Detective Agency, I will speak with Kogoro Mouri and have him keep a closer eye on strangers in the area. We must also try to avoid unnecessary contact with teachers and classmates at school."

He looked at Conan Edogawa:

"Shinichi, you cannot 'show off' at school like you used to. You can solve cases, but you must absolutely not leave any traces that could make people associate you with 'Kudo Shinichi.' Although we have already announced your death, that is not foolproof."

Conan Edogawa nodded vigorously, though his heart was a mixture of complex emotions.

He was used to uncovering the truth through deduction, used to searching for clues in crises, but now, he had to learn to hide—hide his intelligence, hide his identity, and even hide his existence. This feeling was even more painful than facing the guns of the Black Organization.

"By the way, Father,"

Conan Edogawa suddenly thought of a key question,

"Was that 'rejuvenated' person in the United States also turned small by the Black Organization's drug? If so, can we find a way to contact her and join forces to fight the Black Organization?"

This thought made him instantly excited.

If he could find another victim, perhaps he could piece together more secrets of APTX4869, or even find clues to an antidote.

Kudo Yusaku shook his head: "It's not certain yet. After all, no one has seen that person with their own eyes; it's just rumored that she is the mother of an ace FBI Agent, an Agent whose identity everyone is familiar with—none other than Akai Shuichi, who caused quite a stir not long ago."

"Akai Shuichi?" Kudo Shinichi asked.

"The wanted criminal who blew up Yasukuni Shrine?"

"Yes, it is said that his mother was also fed poison by a certain mysterious organization, which caused her to rejuvenate. As for whether this organization is the Black Organization, that remains unknown."

"Not a drug from the Black Organization?"

Conan Edogawa was stunned, "Then how did she turn small? Could there be other methods that allow people to rejuvenate?"

"That is exactly what makes it most dangerous."

Kudo Yusaku's eyes became profound,

"If 'rejuvenation' is not an isolated case, and there might even be multiple ways to achieve it, then both you and that woman will become subjects of research for various forces."

"They will use unscrupulous means to force you to reveal the 'secret,' regardless of whether that secret actually exists."

The study fell into silence, with only the ticking of the wall clock echoing in the empty room.

Conan Edogawa looked at the pitch-black night sky outside the window and suddenly felt that the Black Organization he had faced before might just be the tip of the iceberg. In this seemingly peaceful world, there was even more hidden darkness and greed.

"I will be careful."

Conan Edogawa took a deep breath, his tone firm, "I will play 'Conan Edogawa' well and will absolutely not be exposed."

Kudo Yusaku nodded with relief and raised his hand to ruffle his son's hair—even though he had turned into a little child, this stubborn look was exactly the same as when he was little.

"Alan will continue to help us investigate news about that woman."

Kudo Yusaku stood up, "If we can confirm that she has no connection to the Black Organization, perhaps we can contact her through secret channels. But until then, we must stay put."

Kudo Yukiko walked to Conan Edogawa's side, crouched down, and gently hugged him: "Shinichi, I'm sorry you have to endure this."

Leaning in his mother's arms, smelling the familiar scent of her perfume, Conan Edogawa felt much more at ease.

He knew that the road ahead would be even harder to walk, but he was not alone.

With the protection of his parents, the support of his friends, and those allies hidden in the shadows, he would surely be able to keep this secret until the day he found the truth.

The neon lights outside the window continued to flicker, reflecting the silhouette of the Kudo villa like a silent fortress. No one knew that inside this seemingly ordinary house, a battle over survival and secrets was brewing.

And Conan Edogawa (Kudo Shinichi), looking at the world map on the study wall, felt a flash of determination in his eyes.

He knew that the peaceful days might be over, but he would not back down. Because he was Kudo Shinichi, the detective who could find the truth no matter the circumstances.

This storm spanning across the ocean had only just begun. And he was already prepared.