Chapter 197 Conan the Tool Man
The next day, early morning.
At the entrance of the Mori Detective Agency, Mori Kogoro was stuffing the luggage needed for the trip into the car with the help of his daughter.
Kogoro himself did not buy a private car. This car was a hatchback he rented temporarily to attend a class reunion in Tochigi Prefecture.
The seats are as narrow as the economy class of low-cost airlines, and the rear seat space makes it difficult for adults to straighten their legs. While taking the compact and energy-saving design concept to the extreme, it also cruelly reflects the current economic conditions of the car owner. .
However, for Kogoro, who currently has only three people in his family, such a pocket-sized car is enough to meet his travel needs.
But
"Hey, hey, the boy named Lin."
"Why do you want to come to my class reunion too?"
Looking at Lin Xinyi who was carrying two large aluminum alloy boxes in his hands and followed by a big black-backed dog, Mouri Kogoro looked a little disgusted:
"And you're carrying such a thing, are you moving?"
A grown man, two large boxes, and a German shepherd that weighed twice as much as Conan.
Let them squeeze into the car, and the travel experience that was originally comparable to a first-class high-speed rail seat was immediately downgraded to an ordinary hard seat during the Spring Festival travel period.
"Dad! Didn't I tell you?"
Before Lin Xinyi spoke, Mao Lilan corrected her father's rude attitude with some displeasure:
"Mr. Lin just happened to be looking for a place for vacation recently."
"He is both my teacher and my friend. Is there anything wrong with hanging out with us?"
"But..." Mouri Kogoro's voice became much softer.
There is no other way. He has lost all dignity in front of his daughter recently and has gradually become a househusband who needs to watch his daughter's face.
This is determined by personal strength and social status.
Kogoro has been working as a detective for ten years but has not made a name for himself in the detective profession. Not long after Mao Lilan first came into contact with the forensic profession, she became a well-known beautiful forensic girl in Tokyo. Everyone in the Metropolitan Police Department "The flower of the future Metropolitan Police Department."
A man has achieved enlightenment, his daughter has gained a lot of potential, and the business of his bleak detective agency has improved a lot.
Recently, many of the customers who have come to me are because of Xiaolan's name.
With a daughter in high school who is so powerful, the father must also be a famous detective who hides his secrets - whether this is the case or not, at least that's what the clients think.
In this way, the label on Mouri Kogoro gradually changed from "private detective" to "Moori Lan's father".
Even his own business had to rely on his daughter's fame, so naturally he gradually lost his status in the family.
"But..." But Mouri Kogoro couldn't help but make some comments:
"With so many people and luggage, the car can't even fit inside."
"Besides, this guy is carrying a suitcase and a dog, so why doesn't he drive by himself?"
"Can't you afford to burn oil?"
Lin Xinyi: "."
He suddenly discovered that the detective's reasoning was sometimes quite accurate.
"Dad, it's rude of you to speak like this!"
Mao Lilan knew that Lin Xinyi might be really poor, and that he might even be so poor that he committed suicide.
Dad’s big mouth is just rubbing salt into other people’s wounds by exposing others’ shortcomings at random.
"And, Dad, don't talk about anyone else."
While Mao Lilan defended Lin Xinyi, she educated her father with concern:
"If you could drink less and make more money, you wouldn't have to rent such a small car!"
Maori Kogoro:"."
His heart was stabbed so hard that he no longer dared to dislike Lin Xinyi.
"But..." Kogoro turned his attention to the little girl with brown hair standing next to Lin Xinyi with a cold expression: "Who is this kid?"
"Xiaolan, you won't bring any more oil bottles to your house, will you?"
"That's not true!" Mao Lilan introduced Haiyuan Ai:
"Her name is Haibara Ai, she is Conan's classmate, and I heard she is also a distant relative of Dr. Agasa."
"This time I heard that Conan was going to a hot spring trip, so she came with him."
The relationship between Hui Yuan Ai and Lin Xin Yi seemed to outsiders to be just acquaintances.
So in order to deceive others, she came here under the name of Conan's classmate.
"Oh, you came with Conan?"
Mouri Kogoro rubbed his chin, his eyes shining with the wisdom of a famous detective.
He couldn't help but think of the green years of his youth, and his eyes looked at Conan with a bit more appreciation from his seniors:
"You kid, you dare to take a girl out for a hot spring trip in the first grade of elementary school."
"I didn't see it, but you are quite brave!"
"Hahaha" Conan scratched his big head, looking embarrassed.
Sure enough, almost at the same time, he felt two knives staring at him in unison, as cold as if they were going to freeze him into an ice sculpture.
And Miss Haiyuan said with a cold face and a calm tone:
"Don't make any mistake, uncle."
"I don't like immature elementary school students."
She simply made no secret of her affection for Lin Xinyi, but she used the identity of Haihara Ai, a primary school student:
"Actually, I went on the trip just to play with brother Lin Xinyi."
"And Conan is just a stepping stone for me to get closer to brother Lin Xinyi."
There was silence in the air.
Kogoro and Mao Lilan looked at each other, and both father and daughter saw horror in each other's eyes:
Are girls in the Heisei generation already so scary in elementary school?
Conan is so miserable.
"Haha." In order to take care of Conan's mood, Mao Lilan avoided the topic in time: "The luggage is almost packed, let's get in the car."
With that said, she took the initiative to get into the back seat and took the lead in getting into the car.
This hatchback sedan is too narrow, and the combined luggage of several people not only fills up the small and pitiful trunk, but also takes up an empty seat in the back.
If we remove the driver Mouri Kogoro, there are only 3 seats out of 5.
There are 3 seats for 4 people including Lin Xinyi, Mao Lilan, Haibara Ai, and Conan.
"I want to sit with brother Lin Xinyi."
Hui Yuan Ai called "brother" in her cold tone, which sounded like she had no emotion.
But at the same time, she had already moved closer to Lin Xinyi, who had just sat in the passenger seat, and proved her affection for "Brother Lin Xinyi" with her actions.
Then, regardless of the slightly surprised looks from others, she sat directly on Lin Xinyi's lap.
"Well" Lin Xinyi was still a little uncomfortable with this, especially under the gaze of outsiders.
But Haiyuan Ai had slipped into his arms naturally, like a kitten lying on the radiator in winter, sleeping comfortably with its eyes closed.
Seeing this scene, Lin Xinyi didn't dare to move casually——
The two of them studied biology very late yesterday, and Haihara Ai didn't get much sleep.
Now that the child is still growing, she cannot be disturbed to catch up on her sleep.
So, Lin Xinyi simply transformed into a kind old father in a long-distance hard-seat carriage. He sat up straight without feeling uncomfortable and carefully held his daughter in his arms so that she could sleep more comfortably.
And seeing that Haiyuan Ai is really so attached to Lin Xinyi, her brother she "just met"
Mao Lilan and Kogoro looked at Conan with even more sympathy:
At a young age, he was used as a stepping stone by girls.
According to his naive mind, he probably doesn't even know that he is actually just a tool, right?
"Haha", the Conan kid who was feeling sympathy didn't think so.
In fact, the current seating arrangement is the most beneficial solution for him:
Let Lin Xinyi and Haihara Ai sit in the passenger seat, and the back seat will be his and Xiaolan's world.
This would not only keep Lin Xinyi away from Xiaolan, but also bring himself closer to Xiaolan.
Given the current situation in this crowded carriage, it was only natural for Xiaolan to hold him, or to hold Xiaolan himself, or to take the opportunity to enjoy Xiaolan's knee pillow.
Ahem
Detective Conan blushed and felt very excited.
And just then.
"Woof!" The big black-backed dog named Caesar had already jumped ahead of him and jumped into the carriage nimbly.
"Come, Caesar Sit here with my sister!"
Mao Lilan touched Caesar's big plush head very affectionately, and also held him in his arms.
Holding this big dog weighing more than 70 kilograms, she didn't feel heavy at all.
In this way, Mao Lilan hugged Caesar tightly, while pointing to the seat next to him that was already half occupied by Caesar's big butt, and said to Conan:
"Come on, Conan, Caesar has made room for you."
"." Conan's face darkened: "Thank you so much."
Tochigi Prefecture, Mouqing Hot Spring Hotel.
The group of people drove here from Tokyo early in the morning, before 9 o'clock in the morning.
Most of the old classmates who were having a party with Mouri Kogoro were not present.
According to today's schedule, he will gather with his old classmates at noon, take a lunch break in the room in the afternoon, and then go with everyone to enjoy the fireworks display that will be held near the hotel in the evening.
This made Lin Xinyi feel embarrassed:
"There are dozens of guests and employees in the hotel."
"I have to go out in the evening to attend some kind of fireworks display."
"I will meet so many people throughout this day. Which one will Conan defeat?"
According to Lin Xinyi's idea, if possible, it would be best to prevent possible murders in advance.
But the problem is that the current situation is different from the previous mountain villa.
That time it was in the wilderness, and there were only a few potential murderer candidates and victim candidates.
And now there are so many people around Conan, and each one of them may be the murderer or the victim.
It is really difficult to fish out a drop of water from this ocean that has not had time to "go bad".
"Alas" Lin Xinyi frowned tightly, feeling a little heavy.
At this time, Mao Lilan interrupted his meditation with a smile:
"Mr. Lin, don't take it too seriously."
"That kind of mysterious thing may not always come true. Just treat it as an ordinary hot spring trip."
"This hot spring hotel is famous for its open-air natural hot springs. The water temperature is just right and the scenery is good."
"It's still early, why don't we go to the hot springs first?"
"Yeah" Lin Xin nodded consciously, and then suddenly realized:
"I we?"
He looked at Mao Lilan with a strange look on his face: "You mean, let's have a bath together?"
"Yes." Mao Lilan nodded seriously: "The natural hot spring in this hotel is a mixed bath for men and women, so they can bathe together."
"???" Conan said with a question mark on his face:
His childhood sweetheart is actively inviting Lin Xinyi to take a bath?
This is simply
"Shameless!" Hui Yuan Ai quietly cast a look that could kill.
Lin Xinyi felt the invisible aura of resentment on the two primary school students and said with some embarrassment:
"Miss Maori, is it inappropriate for you, a girl, to invite me to a hot spring?"
"It's okay." Mao Lilan said well prepared:
"We can wear swimsuits!"
The second update will be later