34: The Ghost of Shinichi Kudo

Jiang Xia doesn't have a strange hobby like "beating people".

He just enjoys that feeling of gradually releasing the tension, like popping cotton.

And this time, there was even an additional "leg-hanging" ghost on the curator's leg. It was like a buy one get one free, and Jiang Xia got a bit carried away.

*****

Just now, when he completely released the tension in the dark, there were a few frozen kids beside Jiang Xia.

- At first, the Junior Detective Team stayed upstairs and dared not move because of Jiang Xia's "stay put" order.

But the curator's cries were just too pitiful. After listening for a minute, Conan ran down the stairs out of concern for a potential victim.

The other three kids followed suit instinctively.

*****

When they reached the ground floor, Conan shone his flashlight, and the four of them saw the curator's miserable condition.

... They should have intervened.

But with the library so dark and the screams so terrifying, and with Jiang Xia...

In the end, no one dared to move except Conan.

And Conan could only serve as a decorative piece in preventing violence.

... So the curator ended up like this.

*****

However, although hitting people isn't good, it did indeed increase efficiency.

When the police arrived, the curator rushed towards them like he had seen his own family, crying and sniffling and saying whatever came to mind.

That's how it went. Inspector Megure not only successfully found the body, but he also confiscated a pile of drugs hidden in the children's library.

*****

Inspector Megure looked at the successfully solved drug trafficking and murder case. Looking at Jiang Xia beside him, he suddenly felt a strong sense of déjà vu.

So he laughed and said, "Jiang Xia, my friend, are you really possessed by Kudo?"

It was originally just a joke.

But Jiang Xia looked at him, made a sound of acknowledgment, and nodded thoughtfully. "Indeed. Occasionally, I feel disoriented, and a voice always urges me to go somewhere. And when I do, there's a murder..."

Conan, who was innocently brought into the conversation, turned his head abruptly, looking at him in shock.

As "Shinichi Kudo" himself, Conan was sure he hadn't whispered anything demonic to Jiang Xia.

Hearing this, he couldn't help but suspect that Jiang Xia's depression hadn't been cured but rather had developed into strange complications.

Conan: "..."

Recalling Jiang Xia's appearance while beating the criminals was quite intimidating in itself—when Jiang Xia was hitting the curator just now, he even laughed lightly. Conan was so shocked at the time that he broke out in a cold sweat and instantly forgave the three classmates who refused to help him intervene—honestly, faced with Jiang Xia's "act of valor," even this high schooler felt like running away, let alone three elementary school students...

*****

As Conan recalled the scene before with lingering fear.

Beside him, Inspector Megure's face was equally pale, clearly shaken.

—His remark about being "possessed by a wandering soul" was just a joke. But he never expected Jiang Xia actually to have a similar experience.

Just as the air conditioner turned towards them, a gust of cold wind blew over.

In Inspector Megure's mind, a scene of a pale-faced Shinichi Kudo leaning on his shoulder, blowing cool air on his neck, suddenly flashed.

He instantly broke out in a cold sweat, looking at Jiang Xia. "...What, what?!"

"Nothing, I was just joking. Inspector, you're not actually believing this, are you?"

Jiang Xia put away his serious expression and smiled at him. "This world is materialistic, there are no ghosts. And didn't I tell you before—I'm here to return books, not because I heard Kudo calling me."

Inspector Megure: "..." He casually adjusted his hat and laughed, "I know. I'm just going along with you, hahaha."

Originally, as a police officer, he wouldn't believe such things.

But Jiang Xia's tone was too serious. Plus, the eerie and peculiar atmosphere here...

Inspector Megure covered his pounding heart and sighed.

Although more low-key, modest, and capable than Kudo, this new comrade always felt like something was off...

*****

The sky was already getting late, and the witnesses were once again a group of children.

Inspector Megure first sent the frightened children home and told them to rest well before going to the police station to make statements.

After seeing off three kids with blank faces and one who seemed to have something to say but hesitated,

Inspector Megure turned to Jiang Xia.

He remembered that Jiang Xia liked to take statements, so he decided to give him an extra task: "You..."

"I'll go with them." Jiang Xia had already left, walking towards his motorcycle and picking up his helmet. "Coincidentally, one of the kids lives near me, so we can go together."

In Jiang Xia's view, the Junior Detective Team also had an exceptionally strong constitution for events.

Maybe, accompanying them on this trip, he could gain some additional insight...

Moreover, the employee killed by the curator this time might have been oppressed by their superiors for too long, their attachment quite humble—after Jiang Xia had beaten up the curator for a while, it fell contentedly.

So, at the moment, there were no souls for Jiang Xia to pick up at the police station, so naturally, he wasn't fixated on making statements.

*****

The kids still had to go to school, so the timing fluctuated.

When the agreed-upon day with the police station arrived,

Jiang Xia changed his clothes and went out, taking a slightly roundabout route to arrive at the Mori Detective Agency.

The three kids were waiting downstairs with Conan.

Seeing Jiang Xia approaching, the kids, who were initially drowsy, suddenly stood up straight, holding umbrellas, standing upright in the rain.

As Jiang Xia's gaze swept over them, he felt like he would hear the familiar "good morning, boss!" the next second.

*****

On the street corner, the Junior Detective Team stood at attention while stealing glances at Jiang Xia.

Although they were a bit unruly, after all, they were only in the first grade. The most they ever did in fights with classmates was a few punches or kicks, and the teacher would quickly pull them apart.

In other words... it was their first time witnessing Jiang Xia pounding someone to near death.

Moreover, Conan felt his classmates were too nervous when they left the library, so he uncertainly reassured them, saying that Jiang Xia only hits bad people.

The unruly kids quickly ran through this sentence in their minds and reached a conclusion.

—Absolutely cannot let Jiang Xia think they're bad people.

They had to act like well-behaved, polite, harmless little angels.

So, facing Jiang Xia parked nearby, the three greeted him loudly in unison, "Good morning!"

Jiang Xia nodded. "Good morning."

He felt relieved thinking that when the kids weren't being unruly, they didn't look like they deserved a beating.

The voices of the kids speaking too loudly floated upwards. Soon, two heads poked out from the second floor of the Mori Detective Agency.

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