LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 246: 242
To him right now, 300,000 yen isn't exactly a big deal.
I mean, he's already sitting on ten million yen! 💰
After mulling it over for a bit, Fujino finally accepted the system mission.
Hey, 300,000 might be small change, but money's money, right? It'd be just enough to cover what he splurged at the computer store earlier.
"Hey, you! Stop right there!"
Right after accepting the mission, a commotion erupted nearby.
Fujino followed the sound and spotted Kuroba Kaito chasing after a greasy-looking middle-aged guy in a gray cap down the street.
…
"Damn it, how'd I even get caught?!"
The guy glanced back at Kuroba Kaito hot on his tail and gritted his teeth.
In the shady underworld of this crime-ridden city, he'd survived over a decade as a thief. He was kind of a big deal in pickpocket circles—cops even called him a "master thief" with a bit of respect.
He prided himself on his flawless technique, so slick he could swipe stuff in broad daylight without anyone noticing.
But today? Some punk kid saw right through him…
It was enough to make him spiral into serious self-doubt. *Have my skills gotten rusty?*
Lost in thought, he didn't notice the people ahead and crashed into a blonde woman's shoulder.
"Get outta my way!"
In a panic, he shoved her aside and kept running—completely oblivious that, in that split second, the loot he'd just nabbed had been smoothly lifted from him by the same woman using his own trick.
"You didn't even notice your prize got snatched. Gotta say, you're one lousy thief."
The guy looked up to see a young man blocking his path.
Dressed in a black suit with a black trench coat, short hair, and holding a wooden sword—it was none other than Fujino.
He raised the sword and brought it down with a solid *whack* right to the thief's face.
*Thud!*
One hit, and the guy was down for the count.
Fujino didn't give him a chance to react. He had no idea if this creep was packing a weapon or not.
Most crooks he dealt with didn't exactly surrender quietly—usually, they'd pull out a knife, a gun, or some other nasty surprise before giving up.
"That was… way too smooth."
Kuroba Kaito, trailing behind, twitched a little at the sight.
He instantly recognized the guy who'd taken down the thief—his eternal nemesis who loved to scam and mess with him: Fujino. 😑
"Miss, could you hand over the wallet, please?"
Instead of greeting Kaito right away, Fujino strolled over to the woman the thief had bumped into.
"You caught me, huh?"
She turned around, looking mildly surprised.
She wore a black suit with a red tie, a brown trench coat, a small hat, and sunglasses. Judging by her features, she was probably a mixed-race blonde beauty.
"You're a magician, aren't you?" Fujino sized her up before continuing. "When that thief ran into you, you swiped the wallet from his pocket in less than a second. That kind of speed? I've only seen it from one other magician friend of mine—a cocky guy in a white cape who loves pulling tricks."
"Friend?"
Kaito, overhearing the convo, froze mid-step.
*White cape, loves magic tricks… Wait, that's me!*
He couldn't believe this detective, who was always out to get him, actually called him a friend. For a second, Kaito felt oddly touched. 🥳
"Kaito! What's going on here?!"
Nakamori Aoko came jogging over from nearby. Her eyes lit up when she spotted Fujino. "Oh, Detective Fujino! Fancy running into you here!"
"Nakamori-san, Kuroba-san," Fujino finally acknowledged Kaito with a light chuckle. "You two out on a date or something?"
"No way!" Aoko's cheeks turned pink as she waved her hands. "We're just here to catch a movie!"
"A movie, huh?" Fujino nodded knowingly. "Got it. Totally get it." *Wink wink.*
"Fujino… Detective?" the blonde woman murmured. "No wonder you saw through my move. You're *that* Fujino."
"You know me?" Fujino raised an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah, I've seen you on the news," she said, taking off her sunglasses to reveal her stunning face. "The 'Dark Detective, Nemesis of Thieves,' right?"
"You're Judy Hopper, aren't you?" Fujino recognized her instantly. "I've seen you on the news too."
"Judy Hopper?!" Aoko's eyes widened, and she practically squealed. "Wait, you're not *the* Judy Hopper, leader of the Wonder Magic Troupe, are you?!"
"That's me," Judy nodded, pulling a wallet from her pocket and handing it to Aoko. "Here ya go. This is yours."
"My wallet… wait, why does it look so familiar?" Aoko blinked, then patted her pockets. After a second, it clicked—her wallet had been stolen! "Ohhh, I get it now!"
She beamed at Fujino and Judy. "Thank you both so much!"
"Oh, Kaito, she's—" Aoko started to introduce Judy to him, but Kaito cut her off.
"I know. Her grandfather's James Hopper, the greatest magician in British history."
"You knew that?" Aoko giggled, then turned to Judy. "His dad's Kuroba Toichi, Neon's top magician back in the day!"
"Oh, I know," Judy said with a pause. "The East's greatest magician, dubbed the Supreme Master of Magic… But honestly, he and my grandfather were cut from the same cloth. They tricked people's eyes and ears for fame and fortune. At the end of the day, they were just cunning con artists."
"Huh?" Aoko and Kaito both blinked, caught off guard.
Aoko tilted her head. "But… don't you perform magic too?"
"My grandfather passed away two years ago, and I had no choice but to take over the troupe," Judy said with a helpless shrug. "Tonight's the last show for the Wonder Magic Troupe—it's shutting down for good.
Oh, if you've got time, you three should swing by… you know, if you're into being fooled by us 'con artists.'"
She pulled three tickets from her pocket, handed them over, and sauntered off.
Kaito, though, caught something odd. His eyes flicked to a black car parked down the street, and he froze, lost in thought.
"Kaito, what's up with you?!" Aoko grabbed his hand. "Anyway, thanks again, Detective Fujino! Our movie's about to start—see ya!"
With that, she dragged Kaito off.
"The Wonder Magic Troupe, huh?" Fujino glanced at the ticket Judy gave him, slipped it into his pocket, and tucked it into his inventory space.
Then he turned, activating his eagle-eye vision to peer at the black car driving away. His eyes narrowed. "Looks like the Zoo's got their sights on the Crimson Tear this time… That preview letter from before—bet they're planning to use Kid to snag it for them."
In Fujino's mind, Kuroba Kaito—aka Kaitou Kid—was being hunted by a shadowy organization. Their goal? The legendary gem Pandora, said to grant immortality.
Eight years ago, the previous Kaitou Kid—Kaito's dad—was taken out by this group. And they're still active.
Last time, there was SPIDER, one of their assassins. Fujino also recalled a higher-up codenamed SNAKE.
Why call it the "Zoo"? Pretty obvious—its members are all named after animals, like a pack of beasts.
It's kind of like the Winery, full of "booze." The Zoo's full of "animals."
Both groups are chasing immortality, and their methods aren't that different either.
The Winery keeps things low-key, growing in the shadows, avoiding exposure.
The Zoo, meanwhile, is like a livestock operation—relentlessly chasing Kaitou Kid to get their paws on Pandora.
Technically, the two groups don't seem tangled up with each other. They might not even know the other exists.
And that gave Fujino, the ultimate schemer, a *lot* of room to play. 😏
A classic strategy from a certain穿越前辈 (time-traveling前辈) popped into his head: *"Drive the wolf to chase the tiger."*
Since both groups want the same thing, operate in secrecy, and probably don't know each other…
Why not pit the Zoo against the Winery?
Once they're at each other's throats, Fujino might not even need to dig up clues—he'd just sit back as they make enemies of each other, wasting their strength fighting it out.
All he had to do was make them aware of each other and spark a little conflict. Easy peasy.
*(Chapter End)*
### Chapter 242: Listen Up, My Name's Uzo
"What's wrong with this guy?"
"Is he heatstroked or something?"
"He's not… dead, is he?"
"Someone call an ambulance! Wait, scratch that—call the cops!"
A sudden burst of chatter snapped Fujino out of his scheming.
He turned around to see a crowd of onlookers already gathering, buzzing with curiosity. 😲
---
I almost forgot about this guy…
The curiosity of the Mihama crowd is still as wild as ever, huh?
Fujino took a deep breath and stepped forward.
After flashing his detective credentials, the crowd instantly relaxed.
They even started chiming in: "This jerk just lying in the middle of the street is so annoying! If you didn't know better, you'd think someone died out here. It's totally ruining Tokyo's vibe!"
Heh… someone dying in the street ruining the city's vibe?
Around here, dead bodies are practically a daily thing! 😅
Once the crowd dispersed, Fujino grabbed the knocked-out thief by the collar.
He dragged him over to the Ford Taurus, popped the trunk, and tossed him in like it was nothing.
The Ford Taurus might not be a looker, but man, it's got space.
The back seat could easily fit four or five people.
And the trunk? Shoving one or two… uh, *people* in there?
Piece of cake. 😏
…
**[Detective Career Mission: Everyday Thief – Completed!]**
**[System Rewards: 300,000 yen · 50 detective reputation points issued!]**
**[Current Balance: 10.96 million yen]**
**[Current Detective Reputation: 910/1500]**
As Fujino stepped out of the police station, a crisp system notification pinged in his ears.
He casually swiped the system interface away, drove home, and unloaded the computers he'd just bought.
After letting Miyano Akemi know he'd be out watching a magic show tonight and not to save him dinner, he hopped back in the car and headed out to prep the gear he'd need for tonight's mission.
Cruising down the road, Fujino started mulling over the finer details of his "Drive the Wolf, Chase the Tiger" plan.
Back when he rescued Haibara Ai, he'd had Hunou put on a fox mask and show up in front of Gin—planting a seed to nudge the Winery into suspecting the Zoo organization.
It was a mini version of "Drive the Wolf, Chase the Tiger" already.
The results weren't super obvious, sure, but it wasn't a total bust either.
From Fujino's perspective, that little nudge had done its job.
He wasn't sure if the Winery had fully pinned Miyano Shiho's disappearance on the Zoo yet, but the seed of doubt was planted.
The next big step in the plan? Figure out a way to pin the blame for snatching Miyano Shiho squarely on the Zoo.
If his deduction was right, the Zoo's goal in forging that Kaitou Kid notice was to sneak into the Miracle Magic Troupe's show under Kid's disguise and swipe Judy Hopper's Crimson Tear.
If that was the play, Fujino was ready to turn the tables. He'd pose as a Winery operative, mess up the Zoo's scheme, and "subtly" drop hints of the Winery's involvement—shifting the blame for Miyano Shiho's disappearance onto the Zoo.
…
**7:30 PM**
A fancy hotel in Ekoda.
Dressed in his usual sharp suit, Fujino handed over his ticket and stepped into the auditorium for the Miracle Magic Troupe's performance.
Elegant, upbeat classical music filled the air. A massive red carpet stretched across the room, dotted with white round tables.
At those tables? Nothing but well-dressed, poised VIPs.
"Inspector Nakamori, Aoko-chan."
Fujino strolled over to Nakamori Ginzo and Nakamori Aoko's table, giving them a quiet, polite hello.
"Fujino, my man?"
Nakamori Ginzo wasn't surprised to see him. He just lowered his voice and asked, "You here to take on Kaitou Kid too?"
"Miss Judy Hopper didn't hire me to protect her gem," Fujino said, shaking his head as he sat next to Nakamori. "I only ended up here because I ran into her at noon and scored a ticket to the show."
"I heard about this afternoon from my daughter. Sorry for the trouble, Fujino."
"No biggie…"
Fujino brushed it off modestly, then glanced around the auditorium. Curious, he turned to Aoko. "By the way, where's Kuroba Kaito? I thought he got a ticket at noon too."
"He had something come up, so he didn't come," Aoko said, wearing a Doraemon-colored dress and looking a little bummed.
She'd wanted Kaito to join her for the show, but for some reason, the guy was dead-set against it.
'Looks like my hunch was spot-on.'
Fujino muttered to himself, keeping quiet.
Kuroba Kaito must've figured out the Zoo was making a move tonight. That's why he ditched Aoko's invite—so he could swoop in as Kaitou Kid and stop them…
"If that's the case…"
Fujino activated his Eagle Eye, scanning the room.
Earlier that afternoon, he'd tagged a Zoo member with an Eagle Eye marker.
If they were up to something tonight, he should be able to spot them…
Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, Fujino locked onto the guy.
Sitting at a table in the back was a man in a dark green coat, a black top hat, and a mustache.
Next to him were two guys in light brown trench coats.
Racking his memory, Fujino confirmed it: the mustache guy was a Zoo exec—codename **SNAEK (Viper)**.
"The cast's all here. Time for the show to start."
Fujino pulled his gaze back, settling on the stage with a sly, knowing smirk.
…
A round of applause kicked off the performance.
Fujino didn't care much for magic shows.
With his observation skills, your average magician's tricks couldn't fool him anymore.
"Dad, look over there!"
Aoko tugged at Nakamori Ginzo's pant leg, pointing off in the distance. "That's Judy Hopper, the troupe leader, chatting with the guests!"
"Oh… so that's Judy Hopper, huh?"
Nakamori Ginzo perked up for once. "That brooch on her chest—that's the world's biggest ruby Kaitou Kid's after, right?"
Fujino followed Aoko's pointing finger.
Judy Hopper was rocking a black blazer and a tight skirt that hugged her curves.
Pinned to her chest was a massive red gem with gold accents—sized to match her frame.
But despite being a ruby, it gave off a faint blue glow.
"It's supposed to be a ruby, but it's shining blue… so pretty!"
Aoko stared at the Crimson Tear like a kid drooling over someone else's toy.
Fujino shot a sidelong glance at her.
Yup, *that's* how a normal girl's supposed to act! 😆
"Hold on a sec!"
Nakamori Ginzo suddenly flagged down a passing white-bearded old man. "You're with the Miracle Magic Troupe, right?"
"That's right," the bald old guy in a gray suit said, looking puzzled. "Can I help you with something?"
"That gem—has it always belonged to their family?" Nakamori asked, nodding toward Judy.
"Yep," the old man said with a nod. "That gem's the symbol of our troupe. The first leader, Mr. James, always wore it during his performances."
"Isn't Miss Judy performing tonight?"
Aoko picked up the program from the table and asked the old man, "I don't see her name on here…"
"Well…"
The old man paused, thinking it over before answering. "Ever since her parents passed, the young miss hasn't performed magic."
"Her parents passed?"
Fujino's ears perked up.
"Yeah," the old man sighed. "About ten years ago, her parents—the former troupe leaders—died in an accident during a performance. It happened the very day they inherited that gem and wore it on stage…"
He paused, then added, "That's when she stopped performing. Old Mr. James was heartbroken about it until the day he died."
"Probably the trauma of losing her parents—it's made her hate magic deep down," Fujino mused, squinting at the stage.
Magicians in this world don't seem to get happy endings, do they?
Like that magic gathering he went to last time—every magician they mentioned was dead.
In the Conan-verse, being a magician's a high-risk gig too, huh? 😬
…
The show rolled on.
According to the program, the next act was a magician named Bohr.
"Bohr's really putting his all into this—trying to convince the miss not to shut down the troupe," the old man said, watching the young guy on stage. "His performances used to be nowhere near this good."
"Bohr, huh?"
Fujino adjusted his vision-enhancing glasses and chuckled.
That's gotta be Kuroba Kaito in disguise.
Most people wouldn't catch it, but after clashing with him so many times, Fujino could tell.
Every magician's got their own style, their own tricks.
Kaito learned his from Kuroba Toichi—same moves, same flair.
The other magicians earlier had different vibes.
But this "Bohr" on stage? Pure Kaito moves.
Once "Bohr" wrapped up, the night's magic show hit its final act—the grand finale.
"And now, the big finish is all mine!"
Suddenly, a thick cloud of smoke billowed across the stage.
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