16: Chapter 16 Conan's "Impotent Rage"

Tsukikage Island's night air carried a salty, damp chill, and the sea breeze, mingled with the sound of crashing waves, lashed against the reefs as if someone were sobbing in a low voice.

The atmosphere on the island grew increasingly oppressive; the homicides that had occurred for two consecutive days were like a giant boulder dropped into a calm lake.

The talk of a "moonlight sonata" curse grew more intense among the islanders, and even the streets during the day became much quieter.

Mouri Kogoro and Conan Edogawa shuttled between the crime scenes and the police station, barely finding a moment to rest.

Kuroiwa Tatsuji had died in the broadcasting room while the second movement of the "moonlight sonata" played;

Nishimoto Ken's companion was found dead beside the piano, with blood staining the keys—

Every death was closely linked to music and the past of Asou Keiji. The clues were like a tangled mess of yarn, intertwined with hatred and lies.

"Damn it! Who the hell did this?!"

Mouri Kogoro grabbed his hair and roared at the musical score,

"Between curses and pianos, this is nothing but a charade!"

Conan Edogawa crouched in the corner, his fingers sketching a rough draft of the crime scene on the ground, his eyes behind his lenses flashing with contemplation.

He always felt that these cases bore the traces of deliberate manipulation; the killer seemed to be guiding something, yet also covering something up.

Especially that gentle Dr. Asai, who appeared at just the right moments. Although there was no evidence, Conan Edogawa's intuition told him that this person was definitely not simple.

On the other hand, Lin Long seemed to be here for a vacation.

During the day, he took Miyano Akemi for walks by the beach to watch the fishermen, and in the evening, he went to the small tavern on the island to drink beer and eat freshly caught seafood, seemingly turning a deaf ear to the murders on the island.

"Mr. Lin Long, so many people have died on the island; aren't you worried at all?"

Miyano Akemi asked in a low voice, watching the police patrolling outside the window.

The islanders in the tavern were whispering about the "curse," and the atmosphere was so heavy it was suffocating.

Lin Long took a sip of iced beer and let out a satisfied burp:

"Rely on these useless police? Haha!! They're just tax thieves."

"What's there to worry about? With the great detective Mouri Kogoro here, the case will be solved sooner or later."

"However, how the case is solved and what the result is—that's for me to decide."

Lin Long picked up a piece of grilled squid, his tone lazy yet confident,

"We are here for a vacation, and to watch a show on the side. Don't let those annoying things affect your mood."

Seeing his breezy demeanor, Miyano Akemi knew in her heart that Lin Long was by no means as leisurely as he appeared.

He must be planning something in the dark, just like when he dealt with the low-level members of the Black Organization last time—quietly, yet having already set the trap.

Over the next two days, the death toll on the island continued to rise.

Another culprit involved in the drug trafficking from back then was found in his own warehouse, dead in the exact same manner as the previous ones, with the "moonlight sonata" still playing at the scene.

Panic spread like a plague. The islanders began to leave overnight, and even the police were at their wits' end, having no choice but to pin their hopes on Mouri Kogoro.

Mouri Kogoro was driven to distraction by the expectations of the islanders and the pressure from the police, spending his days hugging a bottle to drown his sorrows. Instead, it was Conan Edogawa who, relying on his keen observation, found some key clues—

There were similar ligature marks on the wrists of several corpses, and faint background noise was hidden in the tapes at the scenes. These all pointed to the same conclusion:

The killer was the same person, and he was intimately familiar with the island's terrain and the habits of the deceased.

"Dr. Asai..."

Conan Edogawa stood at the entrance of the clinic, watching the busy figure inside, his brows furrowed.

He had checked Asai Narumi's background; it was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, but the more perfect the disguise, the easier it was to hide secrets.

Ring-ring...

Just then, Lin Long's phone rang.

"Sir, your phone."

Miyano Akemi took the phone out of her bag and handed it to Lin Long. There was no caller ID on the screen, only a string of garbled characters.

Lin Long answered the phone, walked into the shadows outside the tavern, and lowered his voice:

"Speak."

Asai Narumi's hoarse voice came from the other end of the line, carrying a trace of exhaustion and determination:

"There's only one left... Nishimoto Ken. It's time for you to act."

The continuous revenge over the past few days had almost exhausted all of Asai Narumi's strength.

Every time he made a move, it was like walking on the edge of a blade. He had to imitate the "curse" ritual while avoiding the eyes of the police and Conan Edogawa. If not for the Shadow Guards sent by Lin Long cleaning up the traces in the dark, he would have been exposed long ago.

"Got it."

Lin Long's voice was without a ripple,

"You don't need to worry about what happens next. Just be a good doctor and wait to watch the show."

Hanging up the phone, Lin Long returned to the tavern and said to Miyano Akemi:

"Akemi, go buy some drinks and snacks. Get some iced beer and a few side dishes."

"Now?"

Miyano Akemi looked at the sky outside; it was already very late.

"Yeah, I'm a bit thirsty."

Lin Long smiled,

"Hurry back."

Although Miyano Akemi felt it was strange, she nodded and picked up her wallet to walk out of the tavern.

She knew that Lin Long was sending her away because he had real business to attend to.

The guests in the tavern gradually dispersed, leaving only Lin Long.

He sat by the window, looking at the pitch-black street outside, and whispered:

"Come out."

As soon as the words fell, the shadows in the room began to churn. Five black figures slowly rose from the corners, under the tables, and from the shadows of the rafters. Red eyes lit up in the darkness, like dormant beasts.

The Shadow Guards were tall and straight, wearing uniform black tactical gear, kneeling on one knee and paying the most respectful tribute to Lin Long.

"Listen."

Lin Long's voice echoed in the empty tavern, carrying indisputable majesty,

"First, go deal with Nishimoto Ken. Disguise the deaths of the previous people as a case of a drug trafficking gang fighting over spoils and killing each other, with Nishimoto Ken as the killer.

Leave 'evidence' at the scene—like the drugs he hid, transaction records with others—it must be seamless so the police can't find any faults."

The Shadow Guards did not speak, only lowered their heads slightly to indicate they understood the order.

"Second," Lin Long paused, a flash of cold light in his eyes, "Once the police catch Nishimoto Ken, on the way to the police station, make him shut up forever.

Create the illusion of suicide out of fear of punishment, like slitting his wrists with a blade hidden on his person, or crashing into the police car's railing in the chaos—

In any case, he cannot be allowed to enter the police station alive, and even less can he be allowed to say anything about Asou Keiji or Asai Narumi."

Nishimoto Ken was one of the core figures of the incident back then and knew too many secrets; keeping him alive was a hidden danger.

Only the dead cannot leak secrets.

"Third,"

Lin Long continued,

"Inadvertently reveal the evidence of their drug trafficking from back then to Conan Edogawa and Mouri Kogoro.

For example, leave the account book in Nishimoto Ken's house, or let some 'knowledgeable' old islander 'accidentally' blurt out what happened back then—

Make them believe that all of this is the result of infighting within the drug trafficking gang, and has nothing to do with any 'curse'."

He wanted to completely erase the traces of Asai Narumi and let this revenge play out under the name of "gangland violence."

"Do you all understand?"

Lin Long looked at the Shadow Guards.

"Understood!"

The five black shadows answered in unison, their voices low and uniform.

"Act."

Following Lin Long's order, the Shadow Guards merged back into the shadows, as if they had never appeared.

The tavern returned to silence, with only the wall clock ticking.

Lin Long picked up the empty wine glass on the table and faced the night outside the window, as if drinking across space with Asai Narumi.

Asai Narumi, your revenge is over. Next, it's my turn.

...

Late at night, the Tsukikage Island police station was brightly lit.

Mouri Kogoro was napping on the table, while Conan Edogawa was using a magnifying glass to carefully study the fragments of the musical score brought back from the crime scene.

"Conan Edogawa, you've been looking at it for so long, have you seen anything?"

Mouri Ran walked over with a cup of hot tea, her eyes full of worry,

"Dad has been running around for such a long time and still has no clues, but I always feel something is wrong."

Conan Edogawa frowned and shook his head:

"There are strange symbols hidden in the score that look like codes, but I haven't cracked them yet..."

Conan Edogawa always felt the killer's methods were too "deliberate," as if intentionally guiding the police to think in the direction of a "curse" or "infighting."

Just then, a police officer rushed in and shouted:

"Found it! We searched Nishimoto Ken's house and found a large amount of drugs and account books! Also, transaction records between him and Mr. Kuroiwa!"

"What?!"

Mouri Kogoro woke up with a start,

"So, the killer is Nishimoto Ken?!"

"Exactly!"

The officer said excitedly,

"The account book recorded their conflicts over uneven distribution of spoils, and there was also Nishimoto Ken's diary, which wrote about 'making those greedy guys pay the price'!

We've already sent people to catch Nishimoto Ken, and we should have results soon!"

Conan Edogawa's heart skipped a beat; his intuition told him things wouldn't be this simple.

He had met Nishimoto Ken; although greedy, he was cowardly in character and didn't look like someone capable of planning such an elaborate murder scheme.

Not long after, sirens sounded outside.

The police escorted a handcuffed Nishimoto Ken into the station. His hair was messy, his face was full of terror, and he kept shouting:

"It wasn't me! I didn't kill anyone! I was framed!"

"Still trying to quibble!"

The leading officer barked,

"With both eyewitnesses and material evidence, you can just wait to go to jail!"

Just as the police were about to lock Nishimoto Ken in the holding cell, he suddenly broke free from his restraints and rushed toward the iron railing in the corner—

"Bang" with a dull thud, his head smashed hard against the railing, and blood flowed down instantly.

"Oh no!"

The police exclaimed and stepped forward, only to find that Nishimoto Ken had stopped breathing, his eyes wide open, as if he died with a grievance.

"He committed suicide out of fear of punishment..."

Mouri Kogoro muttered, looking at the scene before him, suddenly feeling a chill.

Conan Edogawa rushed to Nishimoto Ken's body and examined it carefully.

He found black fibers that didn't belong to Nishimoto Ken in the fingernails, and there was a faint ligature mark on his neck; it didn't look like suicide at all!

It looked more like killing to silence someone.

Who was it?! Who was working behind the scenes?!

Conan Edogawa suddenly looked up at the window.

The night was thick, and he couldn't see anything, but he could feel that a pair of eyes was staring at this place from the dark, controlling everything.

At this moment, an old police officer walked in with a tattered account book, sighing as he said:

"Sigh, who would have thought... Back then, Mr. Asou Keiji was killed by them just because he refused to be complicit with them.

Here is an old account book that records their drug trafficking from back then. It's a pity we never found evidence..."

The content in the account book perfectly matched the records found in Nishimoto Ken's house, and even detailed how they forced Asou Keiji back then and how they forged the scene.

The truth seemed to be finally revealed:

Nishimoto Ken and the others killed Asou Keiji to cover up the secret of drug trafficking;

Years later, because of uneven distribution of spoils, Nishimoto Ken killed his accomplices one after another, and finally committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

The so-called "piano curse" was merely a pretext used by the killer to cover up his crimes.

"So that's how it is..."

Mouri Kogoro stroked his chin, suddenly realizing,

"I said so, there's no such thing as a curse, it must have been done by a person!"

Only Conan Edogawa stood where he was, his brows furrowed even tighter.

It's not right.

It's too wrong.

All the evidence was as perfect as a script, as if someone had deliberately placed the clues in front of them.

Nishimoto Ken's "suicide" was even more suspicious, as if someone was silencing him.

He thought of Lin Long.

That man who had acted like an outsider from the beginning, always appearing on the island at critical moments, yet indifferent to the cases.

Could it be... him?

But why would he do that? What was his relationship with Asou Keiji and Asai Narumi?

Conan Edogawa couldn't figure it out, and his heart felt heavy, as if a stone were pressing on it.

...

The next day, just as dawn broke, the passenger ship to Tokyo slowly sailed away from Tsukikage Island.

Mouri Kogoro leaned against the railing on the deck, yawning, with a look of triumph on his face after solving the case:

"Hmph, although the process had some twists and turns, in the end, I, Mouri Kogoro, saw through the truth! Drug trafficking gang infighting, they really deserved it!"

Mouri Ran looked at the gradually receding Tsukikage Island and said softly:

"I hope the people on the island can live a peaceful life from now on."

Conan Edogawa crouched in the corner of the deck, hugging his knees, his brows furrowed.

He repeatedly recalled the details of the case, trying to find flaws, but every clue pointed to the conclusion that "Nishimoto Ken is the killer," and he couldn't find any evidence to refute it.

Lin Long and Miyano Akemi stood not far away, looking at the morning sun on the sea.

The golden sunlight shone on the sea, sparkling, dispelling the chill of the night.

"It's over."

Miyano Akemi said softly.

"Yeah, it's over."

Lin Long nodded, a faint smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

The Shadow Guards had already sent news:

Nishimoto Ken's "suicide" was accepted by the police as fact, the drug trafficking evidence was conclusive, and the case was officially closed;

Asai Narumi was still working as a doctor on the island, playing the role of an "innocent person" perfectly. After the limelight died down, he would leave Tsukikage Island under the guise of "further studies" and head to the agency in Tokyo.

[Detected a large influx of malice black qi (fear and resentment from Nishimoto Ken and others), current value: 18900 -> 23500 points.]

[Congratulations! The malice black qi has met the unlocking conditions, "Shadow Binder" has been unlocked! Current summonable quantity: 10.]

The system's notification sounded in his mind, and Lin Long nodded with satisfaction.

Not only did he gain Asai Narumi as a capable assistant, but he also unlocked a new unit type. This trip to Tsukikage Island could be considered a full harvest.

Shadow Binders are adept at using shadow energy to bind enemies, and can even temporarily deprive targets of their mobility. Whether saving people or capturing people, they can play a huge role.

"What are you thinking about?"

Miyano Akemi noticed Lin Long's smile and asked curiously.

"Thinking that we should go back to Tokyo."

Lin Long looked at the horizon in the distance, "There are still many things waiting for us to do there."

The Black Organization, Conan Edogawa, major financial groups... his chessboard was constantly expanding, and he, Lin Long, would be the only operator.

On the ship, Conan Edogawa was still furrowing his brows, thinking about this matter. He noticed Lin Long.

How many secrets does this man hide?

Why does he always appear at the scene of the crime just at the right time?

"Seems I need to find Dr. Agasa to properly investigate the background of this Lin Long and his agency."

Conan Edogawa clenched his fists, thinking to himself that he must find out Lin Long's background.

The passenger ship left a long wake on the sea, sailing towards Tokyo.

The "Piano Curse" case of Tsukikage Island had come to an end, and the islanders gradually returned to peace, as if that bloody revenge had never happened.

Only a few people knew that behind this seemingly settled case, there was an invisible hand controlling everything.

Asai Narumi stood at the window of the clinic, watching the departing passenger ship, gripping the medicine bottle in his hand.

He knew that his life would welcome a new beginning, and all of this started with the appearance of that mysterious man.

The wind of Tokyo was about to blow towards him.

And he, carrying his father's last wish and the embers of revenge, would serve Lin Long on a new battlefield.

Lin Long looked at the morning sun outside the window, ambition flashing in his eyes.

The story of Tsukikage Island was over, but the legend belonging to him had just turned to a more exciting page.

Next, he would face the Black Organization, which was a hundred times more terrifying than the small drug trafficking group on Tsukikage Island.

And he was already prepared.