Chapter 0024: The Appearance of Fumiyo Edogawa
Yoko-san and Boa were already taken away by their managers. If they hadn't left in time, Yoko-san would probably have been "Double-Killed" by the still-excited Kogoro Mouri. They escaped just in time.
Kogoro Mouri fully experienced the thrill of a victorious conqueror. With his superior physical strength, he could have continued for another two hours without any problem.
By now, it was close to midnight. Luckily, tomorrow was the weekend. As they stepped out of the Tokyo TV station, the outside was immediately illuminated by a series of flashing lights.
"They're out! Quickly, take pictures!"
A flurry of flashbulbs went off. At that moment, [V-chan] played the theme of 'Sherlock Holmes'.
'Dun dun dun dun dun dun…'
'This feels pretty amazing,' Kogoro thought.
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The next morning, Kogoro Mouri sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, reading the newspaper.
"Shocking! The Case of the Century Solved! Japan's Brightest Detective, Kogoro Mouri!!!"
"Perfect and Meticulous Deduction Unveils an Impossible Crime! Japan's Sherlock Holmes!"
"Tokyo's Gleaming Pride! The Nemesis of Crime! Savior of the People, Kogoro Mouri!!!"
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Mixed in were some ridiculous tabloid headlines:
"My Night at the Izakaya with Kogoro Mouri."
"The True Address of the Mouri Detective Agency."
"Lonely Yet Gleaming Soul! An Exclusive Look into Mouri's Separation from His Wife."
At this moment, the most trending name in Japan was Kogoro Mouri. Fans of Mouri Mouri had spontaneously formed support groups online, even creating websites for him. Some even argued with foreign netizens on his behalf.
"My Kogoro is the world's strongest detective. He's both handsome and dignified. Your British loner addict doesn't hold a candle to him. I suggest Sherlock rename himself as 'Britain's Mouri Detective' if he wants to be recognized!"
'What the heck?!'
Seeing such posts on YouTube, Kogoro Mouri was stunned. Curious, he searched online and found that in London, at 221B Baker Street, there was indeed a renowned detective named Sherlock Holmes.
'Now this is getting interesting—Sherlock Holmes actually exists.'
Beside him, Conan glanced at Kogoro with a deadpan expression. "Sherlock is an international detective and my idol, Uncle. You should just give up—you can't compete with him."
Such provocative words earned Conan a freshly roasted "Fried Chestnut Smash" on his head. Rubbing the swelling bump, Conan tearfully scampered away. 'Darn it, bullying a child again!'
Ran was sweeping the floor in the office when she looked outside at the falling snow. "Wow, it's snowing already. It's so early this year."
Noticing Conan squatting on the ground, nursing his bump, she said, "Conan, your parents are so irresponsible. They've left you here for so long without checking in—not even a phone call."
Cold sweat trickled down Conan's forehead. "They're really busy. There's so much for them to take care of overseas."
Kogoro Mouri chimed in, "Oh, come on! No matter how busy they are, they can't just leave their child here unattended. Tell you what, I'll call them. I remember Conan was entrusted to us by Professor Agasa. Let's ask him about it."
Conan's face turned pale with panic. 'It's over—I'm done for!'
Seeing Conan's reaction, Kogoro felt a surge of satisfaction but maintained a calm facade.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Ran quickly went to answer it.
A plump woman in a red coat and glasses stepped in. "Conan, Mommy's here to pick you up."
Conan froze in shock. Kogoro immediately realized what was going on. 'This is that storyline where Yusaku and Yukiko disguise themselves to mess with Conan.' He couldn't help but smirk and decided to play along.
But at that moment, a recall card in the system space began to tremble slightly.
"She's not my mom," Conan said solemnly.
The woman produced a name card and handed it to Kogoro. It read "Fumiyo Edogawa." She said, "You naughty boy, always playing pranks. I'm Fumiyo Edogawa, Conan's real mother."
"Oh, really? Conan, your mom's here to pick you up. Aren't you happy?" Ran said with a smile.
The plump woman grabbed Conan by the arm. "Come on, my little darling. Don't be mad anymore. You've been waiting long enough."
Conan's mind went blank. The name Edogawa Conan was one he made up himself—how could a "real mom" exist? Should he reveal his true identity to Ran and mouri? For a moment, Conan couldn't decide.
In his confusion, the woman dragged Conan downstairs and into a car.
From the back seat, Conan looked out with hollow eyes at Kogoro. 'mouri-ojisan, aren't you supposed to be smart? You're a great detective, right? Can't you see this is a bad person? Save me!'
But Kogoro only smiled coldly. 'Serves you right for always pestering my daughter. Enjoy your suffering, brat.'
"Detective Mouri, thank you for taking care of Conan all this time. I'll be sure to send you a token of gratitude," the plump woman said, throwing Kogoro a flirtatious glance. Her exaggerated expression made Kogoro shudder. Yukiko's acting and disguise skills were truly top-notch.
As Conan's desperate eyes begged for help, Kogoro and Ran cheerfully waved goodbye. Snow fell heavily as the car sped away.
Kogoro finally had a moment to examine the recall card. Its mysterious patterns shimmered and trembled with light.
V-chan: [Mission issued: Encounter a specific individual and use the recall card. Details of the mission and rewards are unknown. There are no penalties. The card will turn to ash if unused within one hour.]
'This is a strange mission,' Kogoro thought. But confident in his abilities, he accepted it without hesitation.
The recall card emitted a dazzling light, and an extraordinary force pulled Kogoro's soul into a journey through endless time.
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Second Volume: The Recall Mission 20 Years Ago