34: Chapter 34 The Kudo Couple Returns to Japan

In the afternoon in New York, sunlight filtered through the blinds, casting mottled shadows on the floor of Kudo Yusaku's study.

The air was filled with the mixed scent of cigars and coffee, yet it could not disperse the heavy atmosphere in the room.

Kudo Yusaku slumped in his large computer chair, his fingertips still numb from typing on the keyboard.

The code on the screen continued to flicker, but it could no longer advance even a fraction.

He stared at the pitch-black tracking interface, his eyes filled with a rare sense of defeat.

As a world-renowned mystery novelist, he was accustomed to finding the truth in clues and weaving traps with logic.

But this time, facing the mysterious opponent on the other side of the network, he felt like a lost child—the opponent's technology was too advanced, so advanced that it seemed not to belong to this era.

Every time he tried to trace them, he was blocked by an invisible wall; every time he tried to crack the opponent's encryption, it triggered even more complex counter-measures.

The opponent was like a ghost, moving freely in the cyber world without leaving any footprints.

"How is it going, Yusaku?"

Yukiko Kudo had just hung up the phone with Conan Edogawa and walked quickly into the study, her face still showing lingering anxiety.

She had followed the instructions in the email and transferred five million dollars to the anonymous account, but her inner anxiety had not diminished in the slightest.

Kudo Yusaku picked up the cigar on the table, lit it with a lighter, and took a deep drag. The smoke swirled before his eyes, blurring the fatigue in his gaze:

"It's useless. The opponent's anti-tracking technology is too powerful; I can't find any clues."

He smiled self-deprecatingly: "I am not a professional hacker after all; in the realm of the internet, I am indeed not their match."

Yukiko Kudo walked over to his side, gently massaging his shoulders, her voice filled with worry:

"Then what should we do now? We've already transferred the money; will the opponent keep their promise? Shinichi, he..."

"The money is just a bargaining chip to stabilize the situation for now," Kudo Yusaku interrupted her, his eyes becoming sharp again.

"The real trouble is that they know the secret of Shinichi's shrinking. As long as this secret is held in someone else's hands, Shinichi will always be in danger."

He stubbed out his cigar, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. Outside the window was the bustling streetscape of New York, with heavy traffic, but it could not brighten his heavy mood at this moment.

"Since they dared to blackmail us, they must have an agenda. Either it's money, or... they want to use Shinichi's identity to make a move."

Kudo Yusaku's fingers tapped gently on the window sill, "Either way, we cannot just sit and wait for our doom."

"Then what should we do?" Yukiko Kudo looked at her husband's back, feeling slightly more at ease.

"Have you finished calling Shinichi? What did Shinichi say?" Kudo Yusaku did not answer his wife's question, but asked instead.

Finally, Yukiko Kudo slowly explained the whole story of how Conan Edogawa had shrunk to Kudo Yusaku.

After listening, Kudo Yusaku put down the cigar in his hand, rubbed his temples, and said:

"I will contact a friend at the Central Intelligence Agency and have them investigate the source of this email through international cybersecurity channels."

Kudo Yusaku turned around, his eyes flashing with determination, "Leave professional matters to the professionals."

He paused and added: "As for us, we'll return to the country first."

"Return to the country?"

"Yes, return to the country." Kudo Yusaku nodded, his tone firm, "Only by finding Shinichi and figuring out what he has gone through during this time and who he has met, can we follow the clues and find the person blackmailing us."

He knew his son too well. Although Shinichi was smart, he was sometimes too impulsive and could easily offend the wrong people inadvertently.

Moreover, Kudo Yusaku felt that this incident did not seem to be the work of the organization that had shrunk Kudo Shinichi, but rather someone who had seized a handle on Shinichi and was deliberately provoking him.

"Okay! I'll go book the tickets right now!" Yukiko Kudo nodded immediately and Ran towards the bedroom, "We'll take the earliest flight back!"

Watching his wife's hurried back, Kudo Yusaku's gaze softened slightly, then immediately became heavy again.

He walked to the computer, opened the anonymous email again, and fixed his gaze on the photo of Conan Edogawa in the attachment.

The child in the photo looked exactly like Shinichi when he was young, but with a bit more vigilance and composure that did not belong to a child.

"A troubled time! It seems the peaceful days are about to be broken."

"No matter who you are, if you dare to touch my, Kudo Yusaku's, son, I will definitely find you."

Kudo Yusaku said in a low voice, his tone filled with unquestionable determination. As a world-renowned mystery novelist, he had his own pride, and also the capital and confidence to resolve this matter.

...

Meanwhile, in Tokyo.

On the second floor of the Mouri Detective Agency, Conan Edogawa hung up the phone with Yukiko Kudo, his face as pale as paper.

The phone slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a "clack," the screen cracking into a fine line, much like his current mood.

He had been discovered. The thing he worried about most had happened.

The opponent not only knew he was Kudo Shinichi, but also obtained DNA evidence, and even used it to blackmail his parents... Such methods, such boldness, were definitely not those of an ordinary small-time player.

"Conan? What's wrong?" Mouri Ran walked in with a fruit platter. Seeing his distraught appearance, she asked with concern, "Are you not feeling well?"

"Ah... no, nothing, Ran." Conan quickly picked up the phone and smiled, pretending to be calm, "It's just that Dr. Agasa called to say his new invention failed again, and he's just a bit disappointed."

"Is that so?" Mouri Ran was skeptical, but seeing that Conan didn't want to say more, she didn't press him, just placed the fruit platter in front of him, "Eat some fruit, it'll replenish your vitamins."

"Mmh, thank you, Ran." Conan picked up a piece of apple, but it tasted like wax.

In his mind, he repeatedly replayed the experience of being knocked unconscious—the needle mark on his arm, the unfamiliar streets...

"Who could it be?"

Was it Lin Long? Except for him, Conan couldn't think of anyone else with the motive and ability to do this.

But if it was Lin Long, why would he do this? Just for blackmail? Or... did he want to force him to leave?

Conan clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. For the first time, he felt so powerless—he knew who the opponent might be, yet he had no evidence; he knew he was in danger, yet he could only watch helplessly as his parents scrambled for him.

"Lin Long, could it be you..." Conan whispered, a flash of defeat in his eyes.

If he were still in his original body, if he still had his former resources, he would never be so passive.

Just then, Dr. Agasa called to say that Kudo Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo had already booked their tickets and would arrive in Tokyo early tomorrow morning, asking him to go to the airport with him to pick them up.

"I understand, Dr. Agasa." Conan hung up the phone, his heart filled with mixed feelings. When he saw his parents, how should he explain? Should he tell his parents that he became like this because of curiosity?

A sleepless night.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Conan got into the iconic yellow Beetle with Dr. Agasa and headed towards Tokyo International Airport.

The car was very quiet, with only the roar of the engine. Dr. Agasa wanted to say something several times, but was held back by Conan's silence.

"Conan, don't worry too much." Finally, Dr. Agasa couldn't help but speak up, "Yusaku is very smart; he will definitely be able to think of a solution."

Conan nodded without speaking. He watched the streetscape flying past the window, but in his heart, he was calculating how to handle the upcoming conversation.

When they arrived at the airport, quite a few people were already waiting at the international arrivals gate. Dr. Agasa took Conan to a corner to stand, his eyes fixed on the electronic screen at the exit.

"The flight has landed; they should be coming out soon," Dr. Agasa said.

Conan's heart was in his throat, and his palms were slightly sweaty.

A few minutes later, a familiar figure appeared at the exit—Kudo Yusaku was wearing a gray suit and sunglasses, standing tall and straight, making him particularly conspicuous even in the crowd.

Beside him, Yukiko Kudo was wearing a red dress, her golden curly hair tied into a ponytail, looking full of energy, not at all like someone exhausted after a long-haul flight.

"Yusaku! Yukiko!" Dr. Agasa waved his hand.

Kudo Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo also saw them and walked over quickly.

"Dr. Agasa, long time no see." Kudo Yusaku took off his sunglasses, revealing those sharp eyes that were identical to Conan's, though there was a bit more of the passage of time at the corners of his eyes.

"Yusaku, Yukiko, you've had a tiring journey." Dr. Agasa greeted them with a smile.

Yukiko Kudo's gaze immediately fell on Conan, and her eyes instantly turned red. She crouched down, carefully examining Conan's face, her fingers gently brushing across his cheek, her voice choked with emotion: "Shinichi... my Shinichi..."

Although she had known about her son's change from the photos, seeing him in this state with her own eyes, Yukiko Kudo still couldn't help but feel heartbroken. Was this still that spirited young detective who carried his own radiance wherever he went?

"Mom..." Conan felt a bit embarrassed by her gaze, his cheeks flushing slightly, and he subconsciously wanted to pull away.

"Alright, Yukiko, let's go home first." Kudo Yusaku pressed his hand on his wife's shoulder, his gaze falling on Conan, his expression complex.

He could see the stubbornness and vigilance belonging to Kudo Shinichi in these clear, childlike eyes. How much suffering had he endured in these past six months?

Conan opened his mouth, wanting to say something, wanting to explain his speculations. But Kudo Yusaku spoke first, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable power: "Let's go home first, Shinichi. Whatever it is, we'll talk about it at home."

He deliberately emphasized the words "Shinichi," his eyes filled with reassurance and firmness.

Conan was stunned for a moment, looking at the light in his father's eyes, and the panic in his heart suddenly calmed down significantly. That's right, talk about it at home. Some things really needed a quiet environment to be properly sorted out.

Yukiko Kudo wiped her tears, stood up, and took Conan's hand. "Let's go, let's go home."

Kudo Yusaku patted Dr. Agasa on the shoulder and walked towards the parking lot first. Dr. Agasa nodded and followed.

Conan, held by Yukiko Kudo, followed closely behind. The yellow Beetle drove away from the airport and merged into the morning rush hour traffic.