Miwa Satō didn't pay much attention to those strange details, because at that moment, the other party had turned the whiteboard towards her.
**[There's a bomb on the bus]**
These words came into view. Miwa Satō's nostrils flared slightly, and she inhaled sharply. "There's a bomb on the bus?"
*Kuro*-version Fujino nodded appropriately.
"Did he hear what I said?" Miwa Satō was stunned for a moment. She had clearly only just whispered softly, but unexpectedly, the other party could hear her clearly. It was indeed a bit scary...
Changing her mind, she stopped thinking so much. Anyway, this guy was usually sneaky, so having a few more weird skills wasn't a big deal. What needed attention now was the bomb...
Miwa Satō quickly reported back to Inspector Megure: "Inspector Megure, I just learned from that person that there is indeed a bomb on the bus!"
"What?!" Inspector Megure couldn't help but exclaim when he heard the news that there was indeed a bomb on the bus. Before this news came, they had always been skeptical. The other party were ruthless criminals who robbed a jewelry store using bombs, and now they had hijacked a bus, so they instinctively assumed the other party had bombs.
Unexpectedly, they really did... Where did these guys get their bombs from?! Are bombs this easy to get nowadays? How can every criminal get their hands on explosives like this...
Inspector Megure sighed, clutching his walkie-talkie, and calmed down. "Satō, you continue to communicate with that person and see if you can get any more useful clues. We will discuss countermeasures immediately."
"Understood..." Miwa Satō took a deep breath, looked up, and gazed at *Kuro*-Fujino. She felt that the person just now had indeed heard what she said. Although it was a bit unscientific and also a little foolish, she still tried to call out softly, "Can you hear me?"
Fujino nodded when he heard her. Then, he wrote and drew on the whiteboard again and showed it: [Detective-san, we meet again (smiley face). It seems your Criminal Investigation Department really handles a lot of things, even kidnapping cases. You must be very tired. How about we go out for a drink tonight?]
Miwa Satō: "..." This guy, still so improper. Miwa Satō's mouth twitched slightly: "Okay... If you're not afraid of getting caught, I'll be happy to accompany you anytime, Ms. Bat!"
Fujino: "???" Miss, although the bus is still moving, it's not like the hearing is *that* bad. The other party was definitely saying 'Miss'. Crap, he's a girl now? Thinking of this, he felt it was necessary to prove his identity, so he wrote and drew again: [You are maliciously assuming my gender!]
"???" Miwa Satō tilted her small head slightly, feeling a bit surprised. She was clearly baffled by this comment. Maliciously assuming gender? Can you even assume this sort of thing? And after that touch last time, you still dare say you're not?
Why does he feel a little annoyed? Thinking of this, she said speechlessly, "Then how should I determine if you're male or female?"
[I'm an attack helicopter.] Fujino wrote and drew, very seriously.
Miwa Satō's face was calm, her mind already numb from being messed with. Okay, now she knew that there was a gender in this world called an attack helicopter.
"So, what else do you know?" Miwa Satō forcefully brought the topic back to the main point. "What else is on the bus that we don't know about?"
Fujino continued to write and draw when he heard her: [Nothing else. There are two robbers on the bus, each with a handgun. There's also someone in the back relaying information. There are two bombs in the aisle that are enough to blow up the entire bus. Besides that, there's nothing else.]
"How do you know all this?" Miwa Satō was a little curious. This guy knew too much detail... He even knew there was someone in the back relaying information. It was hard not to suspect that he had an informant on the bus and that he came here by following the informant's tips.
[I am everywhere.] Miwa Satō rolled her eyes and ignored the other party. She just picked up the walkie-talkie and continued to contact Inspector Megure, reporting the information she had just received truthfully.
***
On the other side, Inspector Megure put down the walkie-talkie. Shiratori, who was standing beside him, also learned about this and immediately speculated in a deep voice, "If that's the case, I'm afraid things will be even more troublesome..."
"Shiratori, my boy, why do you say that?"
"If they were just hijacking the bus, they wouldn't need to use bombs. Their handguns would be enough. After all, if it explodes, they'll also be blown up." Shiratori looked at Megure, who seemed a bit puzzled, and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, the purpose of those robbers using bombs is to blow up the bus to cover their tracks after their boss is released... And before they leave, they will definitely take one passenger with them. That passenger must be their accomplice."
"In that case, as long as we quickly apprehend them after they get off the bus, it'll be fine. But the risk is too high. For now, we can only comply with their demands..." Inspector Megure frowned and nodded, agreeing with Shiratori's explanation. Then he picked up the walkie-talkie and began negotiating with the robbers on the other end of the line.
***
Inside the bus.
"So, you guys are planning to release him, right?" The fat robber couldn't help but burst into laughter after receiving the news from Megure. "That's good, it saves us from having to kill anyone... Call me when you release Izushima. Once I can confirm that he has escaped safely, we will release two hostages..."
"What? You said you want to prioritize releasing Fujino Dōji?"
"You guys are really protective. That won't work. After all, who knows if you'll launch a forced assault if we release him... Alright, it's settled like this, you have no choice!" Hanging up the phone, he waved to the thin robber behind him. "The police side is all sorted out. They've already decided to release him."
"Hmph, they finally caved." The tall, thin robber snorted coldly and placed two ski bags horizontally in the bus aisle. "But we still have to see if they'll cause trouble after an hour. The police are very cunning."
The two long ski bags were naturally very noticeable. Conan also noticed this. He squatted down, intending to investigate... Meanwhile, Vermouth, who was sitting next to him, had been quietly observing him. As Shinichi Kudō's mother, she had long figured out that Conan was Shinichi Kudō. Actually, it wasn't a matter of being his mother or not, the main thing was that she had seen what this kid looked like when he was little. After all, she and Yukiko Fujimine had the same master before. Coupled with this series of unusual behaviors, she had reason to suspect that this kid was Shinichi Kudō. As for shrinking or not shrinking... She knew all about the drug developed by the Organization, didn't she?
But as she watched silently, her palms couldn't help but sweat for Conan. Because the robber in front seemed to sense something and suddenly turned around!
"You damn brat!" After the robber turned around, he saw Conan trying to open the ski board bag and immediately became annoyed. This brat had been relentlessly annoying him since the beginning... He couldn't stand this troublesome kid anymore. Pointing the gun at Conan's head, he said in a deep voice, "You keep acting up. Do you really think I don't dare to kill? If you want to die, I'll grant your wish right now!"
"Conan!!" The Detective Boys all looked panicked.
Jodie's eyes flickered, looking at Conan. She was ready to make a move. The safety on the other party's handgun was already off, and it would be easy to control him at close range. But the problem was the guy in the front... She heard that Fujino was pretty good, but if she suddenly made a move, would Fujino be able to react? Jodie hesitated, a little worried. But if the other party really shot and realized their safety was off, she would definitely go up and subdue him first before considering other things.
"Stop it quickly!" At this moment, Vermouth couldn't sit still. As the mother of an only child (in a relationship), she naturally couldn't watch her son, who had escaped the Organization's drug and shrunk, get shot. Immediately, she used the identity of Tomoaki Araide and blocked Conan. Then she said sternly, "He's just a child!"
Fujino, who was quietly watching the show and controlling *Kuro*: "..." Why does that sound so familiar? As expected of his mother...
"Anyway, you've already achieved your goal, can't you just let him go?" Vermouth stared intently at the thin robber. "Besides, your boss has already been released. If you kill a passenger now, wouldn't the plan you already agreed upon go down the drain?"
She decided to reason with him first. It would be better if they could resolve this peacefully, because if she really made a move, her somewhat fragile disguise would definitely be broken... In that case, things would become troublesome. Her current disguise couldn't be revealed yet. But if there was really no other way, she wouldn't hesitate to act. She had also noticed that the other party's safety was off. If she made a move, she could easily subdue both of them...
As for the lives of the other people, that was not within her consideration. In her eyes, the lives of everyone on the bus were not worth as much as her 'son'. If the disguise was gone, it was gone; she could just secretly find another one. But if her son was gone, then she would truly have nothing left.
Robber: "..." Moral blackmail, huh? Do robbers even have morals?
The thin robber clearly didn't care about this unreasonable moral blackmail of protecting his own. He raised his gun and pointed it at Vermouth's forehead. "You kid, you've got a strong sense of justice, huh? How about I send you on your way first?"
"Hey! Forget it!" At this moment, the fat robber walked over, stopped the other thin robber, leaned in, and whispered, "That thing is behind them. If you accidentally miss, it'll be bad..."
"Oh..." The thin robber also reacted when he heard this. Then, after saying "Hurry back to your seats," he left with the fat robber.
"As expected, is it a bomb?" Conan stood up at this moment, frowning as he glanced at the package beneath him, thinking to himself. Soon, he also reached the same conclusion as Shiratori. These people wanted to blow up the bus! Combined with the things he had been exposing, it meant that there really was an insider in the back row! If he didn't get rid of the insider, no matter how sneakily he acted, he wouldn't be able to succeed. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a headache.
He looked at Fujino and sighed. It would be great if he could somehow transmit information using Morse code or something. But it was too far, he couldn't do it at all. And there was someone watching in the back. What if that guy also knew Morse code or something, then it would be completely over. He couldn't rely on Fujino either; now he was truly isolated and helpless. Conan thought about it as he returned to his seat, beginning to look for a way to break the situation.
And Fujino, of course, heard the two robbers' loud whispered conspiracy very clearly. Staring at the bag, he began to think about the type of bomb. If it was a bomb that could be detonated by firing a gun, then it shouldn't be C4. After all, that stuff was very stable; it wouldn't explode without a small detonator. He could just cut the wires connecting the detonator to the blasting cap and be done with it... Fujino shook his head, no longer dwelling on the idea of being a happy bomb disposal expert. There were simply too many types of bombs that could be triggered by a handgun shot; he couldn't figure out what kind it was. Compared to defusing bombs, a heavenly drop of justice was more reliable.
He remembered that they were supposed to enter a tunnel soon to exchange hostages. As the hostage to be released, his distance from the robbers and their accomplice would definitely be shortened. This would avoid the embarrassing situation where a sudden brake caused the detonator to go off and everyone on the bus went to meet阎王 (King Yama). Yeah, then *Kuro* would descend from the sky, and he would go up and give them a good beating. The pitch black darkness was his home ground.
***
The bus drove smoothly. Although there was a lot of scheming going on beneath the surface, it was unusually quiet on the outside. Ai Haibara, sitting in the corner, was a little scared, but she didn't show it too obviously. She just wore Fujino's oversized suit jacket, hid herself in the corner, and tried her best to avoid being recognized by the people on the bus. She could feel that Tomoaki Araide definitely had a connection with the Organization. She had a bad feeling ever since that guy got on the bus. That aura was very similar to that woman's.
Furthermore, there was the presence of another aura. This meant that there were a total of two Organization members on this bus this time. Were they here to catch her? She didn't dare to confirm rashly... If she was exposed, then everyone on the bus who was related to her would die. But she still felt a little unwilling. In this situation, she could only huddle here, unable to help even a little.
Soon, Kunio Yajima was released, and the robbers who received the news also began to plan their next step.
"Driver, take the Tōto Expressway, go onto First Avenue!" The robber issued the command to the driver again. "Slow down when we approach the Kobotoke Tunnel..."
"Huh?" The driver was momentarily stunned.
"What do you mean, 'huh'?" The thin robber continued impatiently. "We said we would release the passengers, and we will. After all, we have professional standards." Saying that, he turned his head and shouted to the back row, "That glasses kid from before, that's right, the one who looks like a pretty boy, come to the front quickly!"
Vermouth was initially a little slow to react, not understanding who 'pretty boy' was referring to. But after recalling her identity, she slowly stood up and walked forward. Pretending to be a pretty boy was truly exhausting...
At this moment, Conan also had a flash of inspiration and figured out everything. Then he casually threw his notebook to Jodie. Jodie quickly reacted, picked up the notebook, and then saw what was written on it: [Do you have any lipstick?]
Jodie didn't hesitate much, took out a lipstick, and directly threw it behind her. All of this was seen by Vermouth. She was a little curious about what this kid was going to do and what he needed lipstick for. (Maybe he wants to put on some fiery red lipstick? - Fake thought) Vermouth only thought about it for a moment and didn't think too much further. In her heart, she was actually looking forward to seeing what tricks he could pull with lipstick.
The bus quickly entered the tunnel.
"You two, put on the ski wear and sit obediently on the floor! Don't forget to wear the goggles..." The two robbers took off their ski suits and handed them to Fujino and Vermouth, who was disguised as Tomoaki Araide. "Our goal has been achieved, and we also said that we don't want to kill anyone. As long as you obediently buy us time, that's enough. Let us pretend to be the released hostages... The passengers will also testify for you later, and there's even the great detective..."
Fujino and Araide said nothing and directly changed into the ski wear.
"Whether we escape or not depends entirely on you, Driver-san. After we get off the bus, you immediately drive away and attract the police's attention." The fat robber took off his ski suit, revealing his predictably plump figure, and pointed his gun at the driver. "But to make you comply, I still need to take a hostage..." Saying that, he turned to the back and called out to the fat woman from before. "You chewing gum! Come here!"
The fat woman feigned surprise for a moment, but still clenched her hands and slowly walked forward. Then, the fat robber directly pressed the gun to her head and continued to threaten the driver, "Listen closely, as soon as we're out of the tunnel, you immediately accelerate and shake off the police. After that, you can stop. I guarantee that we'll get away safely. Otherwise, this woman's life... won't be guaranteed!"
"Y-Yes..." The driver's thinking was simple. He just thought these two were genuinely good people from Beika. After robbing the bus, they actually wanted to leave survivors.
Meanwhile, Fujino's eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint curve lifted at the corner of his mouth on his face shrouded in darkness. It was time to make his move.
At the same time, *Kuro* on the roof turned around and came to the front of the bus roof. After confirming his position, he flicked out a hidden blade from his sleeve. The silvery-white blade gleamed in the darkness. Then he leaned down, raised his arm high, and plunged it fiercely into the sheet metal of the bus roof.
"Screeeech—!"
Accompanied by a series of crisp sounds of metal being cut. Before the people inside the bus could react, an X-shaped opening was cut into the bus roof...
(End of this chapter)