23: JIANG XIA IS A GOOD DETECTIVE
Curator Ochiai is not actually the owner of the exhibition hall.
The museum is owned by another man.
And the old curator is just a worker who developed personal feelings for his job.
It's like a security guard who falls in love with the gold in the vault - it's a love that is doomed to be heavy and unfulfilled.
If you have to see "demolishing the museum and converting it into a hotel" as a pot, at least half of that pot should be on the back of the former owner who sold the museum.
However, Curator Ochiai's anger was focused solely on Mr. Manaka, the current owner.
...At times like this, you can see how dangerous it is to carry a poisonous tongue buff in this world.
***
When Jiang Xia spoke, the old curator beside him trembled slightly while stroking his beard with his hand.
It was unclear whether he was angry or just nervous that Jiang Xia was considering him a suspect.
After a moment of silence, Curator Ochiai took a deep breath, planning to deny the accusations fiercely, just like a knight fighting to the bitter end.
However, at that moment, the young man in front of him suddenly raised his phone and shook it at him.
On the low-resolution screen was the scene where the curator picked up the pen.
This was a fatal flaw in his plan.
Jiang Xia looked at the curator's pale face and silently nodded.
He quickly pushed forward the case's progress bar, hoping to solve the case as soon as possible and catch the culprit.
Jiang Xia said seriously, "Turn yourself in. Don't harbor any illusions. The people have seen through your actions and methods."
The curator stared at the screen on the phone, and the last shred of his confidence disappeared.
It had only been ten minutes since he had meticulously planned and rehearsed his murder plan.
How could it have been exposed so quickly?
Meanwhile, Conan, who was eavesdropping on the conversation, was also shocked.
During detective reasoning, evidence was presented step by step to perfect the logic.
But how did Jiang Xia jump straight to the conclusion in the end?
He wanted to ask, but his pride as a young man made it difficult for him to speak up.
However, he soon realized that he was just an elementary schooler asking a high schooler a question.
After coming to this realization, Conan confidently approached Jiang Xia and asked, "Um, Jiang Xia gege, can I see your phone?"
Jiang Xia was speechless.
Kudo, why are you suddenly speaking in this cringy tone?
Jiang Xia gave him an indescribable look, replayed the video, and silently handed the phone over.
There is nothing shady stored on this phone.
Jiang Xia uses another phone to contact the organization.
It's crystal clear.
No need to worry that Conan will suddenly see Gin's email on the phone halfway through.
***
The video played quickly.
Conan rapidly integrated the information in his mind while facing at the dark screen.
After a moment, he rubbed his chin and suddenly realized: "So that's it. The note with 'Kubota' that the police found earlier was written by the director beforehand and placed there. The pen the victim picked up was probably one that couldn't write, so the 'death message' left behind was actually written in advance by the culprit to frame someone else."
"... " The director stared at Conan with a look of doubt.
'At least Jiang Xia is a seemingly smart high school student,' he thought.
But now... how could even an elementary school student easily see through his crucial plan?!
Curator Ochiai: "..."
His revenge, his art, his clever scheme... turned out to be just a childish farce.
***
Conan understood the situation and returned the phone to Jiang Xia.
He was about to say "thank you" when suddenly he heard a weary and complex sigh beside him.
Both Jiang Xia and Conan were startled and turned their heads in confusion.
They were surprised to see that in just a few seconds, the curator looked as if he had aged ten years.
The curator looked at them deeply and shook his head in despair, "Thank you for helping me realize who I really am."
Then, under the gaze of the two, he walked towards Inspector Megure with a tired gait and turned himself in.
***
Inspector Megure had originally thought that the culprit behind the death message must be the employee here - Kubota.
But he didn't expect that the curator would turn himself in halfway.
***
The curator briefly explained the process of the murder.
At the end, he said in a weary voice, "Since the method is so easy that even a child can see through it, the police will find out sooner or later... It's better to come forward and confess."
Inspector Megure felt a little guilty when he was praised by the curator and didn't want to ask any more questions.
He cleared his throat and looked in the direction where the curator had come from, where he saw Jiang Xia and a bespectacled first-grade boy standing there.
Inspector Megure immediately ruled out the possibility of a primary school student and understood the "talented child" mentioned by the curator to be Jiang Xia.
He was impressed and thought to himself, "It seems that I have encountered another excellent high school detective after Kudo."
***
Several police officers quickly took the curator away.
The police gradually left as well.
Jiang Xia looked at the police team and consciously followed the lead of Inspector Megure.
When they turned around and looked at him in confusion, he took the initiative to say, "I'll go make a statement."
Inspector Megure was taken aback.
All the detectives he had encountered before were always eager to solve the case and moved quickly.
But as soon as the statement was mentioned, they disappeared.
Accustomed to that way of working, encountering Jiang Xia now...
Inspector Megure was inexplicably moved.
Jiang Xia was very cooperative with his work.
He suggested that all detectives in the country should learn from him!
****
Of course, Jiang Xia didn't actually like making statements.
It was just that after the on-site evidence collection, the body had been put in a body bag and sent to the police station.
In other words, the leg-grabbing spirit was now in the police station...
Once the obsession was lifted, these kinds of things would not continue to hold onto the leg and would easily wander off to other places.
Jiang Xia was worried that if he went too late, he would not be able to find it.
So, Jiang Xia successfully mingled with the police's overtime team.
*****
As soon as they walked out of the museum, a bright flash of light greeted them.
-There was a group of reporters gathered at the entrance.
Murder cases in this world were very popular.
Jiang Xia dealt with the media and a few bystanders who were adding fuel to the fire in an unskilled manner.
Ten minutes later, he finally arrived at the police station.
*****
As Jiang Xia made his statement, the child ghost looked around.
Then, under Jiang Xia's signal, it sneakily floated away, hiding and slipping towards the morgue.
Jiang Xia silently glanced at its back and wanted to remind it that it didn't need to be so theatrical-even if the child ghost swaggered past while banging a gong, the police would not see it.
... Sigh, maybe he shouldn't have shown it so many dramas before.
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