With Suzuki Tower as the center, the surrounding light turned entirely red.
It was like the beautiful, thin membrane of a maiden, or like the red curtain of a horror film.
The city lights flickered on and off, engulfing most of Mihuashi in their glow.
What's going on? Is it a solar eclipse?
Bai Ye sat up abruptly, looking at the sudden change in the sky. Such a bizarre atmosphere made one's heart tremble.
The bright full moon in the sky cast a cold, clear light, reminding him that this was not a dream.
Pedestrians on the street continued on their way, showing no signs of panic. As if all of this was just a minor inconvenience, nothing to be concerned about.
Anything is possible in Mihuashi!
As the clock ticked, the red glow intensified.
Suzuki Bai Ye looked around and vaguely sensed that the light was gathering into a circular magic formation.
Crap, there really is magic, this is way too unscientific!
This phrase was quickly becoming Bai Ye's catchphrase.
【Detected mystical force beyond the realm of science.】
【This ability has been added to the Points Mall.】
【Ability Name: Red Magic.】
【Ability Type: Active Trigger.】
【Ability Description: Supreme Red Magic, requires Witch bloodline to activate.】
【Note: Pretty girl, transform!】
Bai Ye opened the mall and glanced at the price. It cost twice the points of his empty hand technique.
Beginner 2000 points, Intermediate 10,000 points… I can't afford it, forget it!
Besides, this ability has prerequisites, requiring a Witch bloodline. If you don't have it, learning it is essentially useless.
Suzuki Bai Ye's field of vision was limited, he could not obtain any more useful information.
He did not know that at that moment, on top of Suzuki Tower, Kaito Kid was battling the Red Witch.
Unbeknownst to him, white snowflakes began to fall from the sky.
The strange light disappeared in the blink of an eye, the lights changed from red to blue.
The snow grew heavier, the temperature plummeted.
Feeling the bone-chilling cold, Bai Ye tucked his neck and returned to his warm bedroom.
Without time to think much, the effects of the alcohol took hold, and he was overcome with drowsiness.
…
The next day.
The snow outside hadn't melted yet, and the temperature was still very low.
Bai Ye donned a black overcoat and walked to work at the pharmaceutical factory.
To his surprise, both TV and newspapers reported only the heavy spring snow from the previous night.
As for the strange red light and the magic formation, there was not a single mention.
Bai Ye asked the security guard on duty today, and they all said they didn't know, hadn't seen any red light.
He asked a few more people, all with the same answer, as if everything that happened last night was just a dream.
Puzzling, truly puzzling!
This bewilderment continued until the end of his workday, when a sudden ringing interrupted his thoughts.
Bai Ye picked up the phone, waiting for Gin to issue his next assignment:
“This is the security office, what can I do for you?”
From the other end of the phone, surprisingly, came the voice of Shiho Miyano:
“Suzuki-san, come to my lab.”
She hung up directly without giving any reason.
What is she asking me to do? Carry something? Or what?
Bai Ye shrugged his shoulders, but still complied.
Otherwise, he would be in trouble for disobeying orders, and it wouldn't be good if his superiors heard about it.
Shiho Miyano had told him to go, he couldn't pawn it off on the security guard on duty.
With a strange feeling in his heart, Bai Ye pushed open the door to the third laboratory.
The corridor was dark and deep, like a passageway to a woman's heart.
Shiho Miyano, accompanied by two men in black, walked towards him:
“Suzuki-san, I'm afraid you'll be working overtime tonight.”
Bai Ye paused for a moment and asked back:
“Overtime is fine, just pay normal overtime wages. What do you need me to do?”
“Protect my safety, that's all.”
Shiho Miyano had a strong woman's aura today, striding toward the exit.
Wait, isn't she the pharmaceutical factory's top priority for protection? How can she just leave?
Just as Bai Ye was about to stop her, someone patted him on the shoulder from behind.
The man in black on the left removed his sunglasses, revealing Masami, the one responsible for the doctor's outings:
“Suzuki-san, this outing is authorized. You just protect the doctor's safety all the way, no need to worry about anything else.”
“Okay.”
Bai Ye didn't say another word and followed the three of them out of the pharmaceutical factory.
One of the men in black was the driver, he got into the car first, put in the key and started the engine.
Shiho Miyano sat in the passenger seat, leaving the backseat for the remaining two.
The accelerator pedal was pressed, the engine roared, and the scenery outside the window began to recede.
Bai Ye remained silent, tactfully not asking about the mission or destination.
Shiho Miyano held a list in her hand, her slender fingers tracing its contents.
“Shinichi Kudo?”
Bai Ye caught sight of the familiar name and couldn't help but speak out.
Shiho Miyano was taken aback for a moment and turned to ask:
“Do you know him?”
In the blink of an eye, Bai Ye's mind raced.
Before confirming the specific mission, it's best to disassociate himself from the two of them:
“Not really, I've seen him in newspapers before. The Sherlock Holmes of the Heisei era, the savior of the Japanese police, you know.”
Shinichi Kudo was indeed somewhat famous, Masami also chimed in:
“I've seen this kid on TV.”
Shiho Miyano didn't think much of it, leaning back in her passenger seat and closing her eyes to rest.
This time, she was going out to investigate the whereabouts of those who took the medicine.
Under normal circumstances, people who take APTX486 have absolutely no chance of survival.
But this boy named Shinichi Kudo was an exception, his body has yet to be found.
No body means perhaps he's still alive. Shiho Miyano needed to investigate personally and hand over the list as soon as possible.
Twenty minutes later, they arrived at their destination.
The driver shut off the engine, put the car in park, and took out a tool to pick the lock.
Suzuki Bai Ye got out of the car and stood by the telephone pole, the biting cold making him constantly stamp his feet.
He knew this place, the Akai Doctor he worked for part-time lived next door.
“Click.”
Seeing the lock open, the driver stepped aside.
Shiho Miyano went inside, Bai Ye and Masami followed close behind.
The expensive pearwood table had a layer of dust on its surface, it seemed like it hadn't been lived in for a while.
Shiho Miyano checked from the first floor to the second, everyone wearing gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Bai Ye was just a bystander, his task was to protect, not to search.
Shiho Miyano pushed open the bedroom door and went straight to the closet.
If Shinichi Kudo was still alive, he might have gone home to get some clothes to change into before leaving.
She opened the cabinet door and found that it was neatly arranged with all kinds of suits, none of them had been taken out.
After checking, Shiho Miyano took Bai Ye to the utility room next door.
Apart from an empty cardboard box labeled "Children's Clothing," there were no other findings.
She stared at the box, lost in thought, and after half a minute, she called for everyone to leave.
Back in the passenger seat, Shiho Miyano took out the list and changed the note on Shinichi Kudo from "Unknown" to "Dead."
This way, the Black Organization would give up tracking and hunting him down.
This mansion is uninhabited and large, it's a good place to hide.
If they ever break with the Organization, they can use this as a temporary safehouse.
…