In Detective Conan: Intercepting Miwako Sato at the Start

Page 76

“But Father!” Ryunosuke Mishima said urgently, “If what’s inside really involves our past… especially our connection to Mr. Kuroiwa…”

Mentioning the name "Black Rock" seemed to freeze the air in the room even more.

Ryuichi Mishima's eyes became even more profound and unfathomable.

“Black Rock…” Mishima Ryuichi murmured, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the jade thumb ring on his thumb. “I will communicate with him. The most important thing now is not to make any more obvious moves.”

He stared at Ryunosuke Mishima, his gaze sharp as a knife: "Ryunosuke, I know you've always wanted to completely clear your name of the past and clean up your family's name so that your future path will be smoother."

"But you must remember that from the day you took over the Mishima family, there are some quagmires that, once you step into them, you can't wash yourself out of them just because you want to. Excessive eagerness will only make you sink in as well, and may even drag the entire family down with you."

“All my actions are for the sake of the family!” Ryunosuke Mishima defended himself.

"Is it for the sake of the family, or for your own future after you have completely taken control of the family?" Ryuichi Mishima asked meaningfully. "Is eliminating Yusuke really because he might threaten the family, or because he might threaten you? After all, he is your brother."

Ryunosuke Mishima's expression changed slightly, but he did not answer immediately.

"Put away your tricks for now," Ryuichi Mishima finally commanded, his tone brooking no argument. "Activate all resources now, not to kill, but to investigate!"

"I need to know what's in that safe deposit box. Use all our connections within the financial system to find out what Yoshihiro Nakamura has stored there, even if it's just a clue!"

"As for Yusuke and Yuki Takada..." A shrewd glint flashed in the old man's eyes, "Since force isn't working, perhaps we should try a different approach."

"It's time for some internal family discussions. You should focus on your duties and stop acting on your own. Otherwise, the position of family heir may not necessarily be yours."

Ryunosuke Mishima suddenly looked up and met his father's cold and ruthless gaze. A chill ran through him, and he finally lowered his head deeply.

"Yes, Father. I understand."

The Japanese-style room fell silent again, with only the incense burning silently, as if the conversation that had determined the fate of so many people had never happened.

But the surging undercurrents had already begun to flow faster within this ancient mansion.

Ryunosuke Mishima stepped out of the tatami room, and a man rushed over, saying, "Something terrible has happened, Chairman Mishima, something's wrong..."

"What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?" Ryunosuke Mishima glanced at the other person coldly. "Let's talk outside so as not to disturb the old man's rest."

And so, the man followed Ryunosuke Mishima to a relatively quiet place.

"Chairman Mishima, this is what happened. I just received news that all the members we sent out to carry out the assassination have committed suicide by poisoning themselves. Not a single one of them died?"

"Furthermore, we have received reliable information and now have complete control over the location of Yusuke Mishima's new residence. We would like to ask Chairman Mishima for instructions on the next steps."

Ryunosuke Mishima nodded and said, "I understand. You will be in charge of leading the operation this time. Select some skilled individuals to go and make sure to take care of Yusuke to prevent any future troubles."

"Yes! I understand!" After saying that, the man quickly withdrew.

"Hmph!" Ryunosuke Mishima sneered. "Yusuke, the old man wants to save your life, but since ancient times, in such a situation, it's either you or me who dies. Therefore, I absolutely cannot let you live in this world."

……

That night, Yuki Takada placed Yusuke Mishima in a relatively secluded residence, guarded by four of Yuki Takada's most trusted subordinates.

Two people secretly monitored from outside the building and inside the car, while two others provided close protection inside the building.

Yuki Takada repeatedly instructed that any unusual activity must be reported immediately.

After explaining the situation, he returned to the Metropolitan Police Department and worked through the night to review the current case leads. He also gave an emergency report to his superiors about the attack at Yoyogi Park and the killer's suicide.

Yuuki Takada stood in front of the whiteboard, carefully looking at the character relationship diagram, especially the preliminary investigation of Ryunosuke Mishima and Tadashi Kuroiwa, trying to find a breakthrough.

However, as expected, all clues were frustratingly clean.

Time passed in a state of high tension. At the deepest moment of the night outside the window, all was silent, as if the fierce chase had just been a dream.

In that relatively secluded dwelling, everyone was on edge.

Yusuke Mishima lay on his bed in his bedroom, wide awake, staring at the ceiling. For some reason, he felt that his family would never let him off so easily, a feeling that kept pounding in his heart.

Outside the door, two police officers were talking in hushed tones, their footsteps moving rhythmically, offering a faint sense of security.

Sudden--

"Pfft! Pfft!" Two extremely faint, almost imperceptible muffled sounds came from outside the door, like gunshots with silencers.

This was followed by the sound of a heavy object falling to the ground.

Yusuke Mishima sat bolt upright in bed, his heart leaping into his throat.

The footsteps outside the door disappeared, and a deathly silence descended, more terrifying than any sound before.

"Officer Sakata? Officer Inada?" Yusuke Mishima lowered his voice and tentatively called out the names of the two officers.

no respond.

A chilling fear gripped him instantly.

Yusuke Mishima quietly slid off the bed, pressed himself against the crack in the door, and caught a faint smell of blood and gunpowder.

Finished!

They really did come!

Almost at the same time, his phone screen lit up. It was a call from a police officer waiting in his car downstairs, and he answered immediately.

“Mr. Yusuke Mishima! Something’s wrong! We can’t get in touch with the people upstairs…” The officer’s voice was urgent and suppressed. In the background came a short exclamation and the loud crash of breaking glass. The communication was then cut off, leaving only a busy tone.

Yusuke Mishima's palms were instantly soaked with cold sweat.

My companion downstairs is probably in grave danger as well.

He heard extremely faint, almost imperceptible footsteps approaching the bedroom door.

The other party's movements were professional and calm, exuding a deadly sense of pressure.

In despair, Yusuke Mishima almost instinctively pressed the redial button on his phone and called Yuki Takada.

The phone was answered quickly after only one ring.

“Officer Takada! They’re here! I’m at the place you arranged! Your police officers may already be…” Mishima Yusuke’s voice trembled with extreme fear, and he kept his voice very low.

"Okay, I'll be right there to help!" Yuki Takada's voice was unwavering. The roar of engines and the sharp wail of sirens came from the other end of the phone immediately. He was clearly rushing over at top speed.

Just then, the bedroom door lock made a slight "click" sound, indicating that it had been opened silently from the outside using technical means.

The door was slowly pushed open a crack, and a figure wearing a black hood, revealing only a pair of cold eyes, appeared in the doorway. The muzzle of a silenced pistol in his hand was the first to be inserted, pointing precisely in the direction where Yusuke Mishima was.

Yusuke Mishima held his breath and rolled violently backward onto the bed.

"Thud!" The bullet grazed his shoulder and entered the wall behind him, leaving a small hole.

The assassin silently slipped into the room, moving with the speed of a cheetah, and fired another shot at the spot where Yusuke Mishima was hiding.

Relying on his brief memory of the room's layout, Yusuke Mishima awkwardly hid behind the wardrobe.

The shadow of death has never been so close.

He heard another set of footsteps enter the room—two assassins!

They worked in perfect coordination and began to suppress his hiding place with crossfire.

"Hold on! Yusuke Mishima! Just one more minute, we're almost there!" Yuki Takada's voice came through the phone, accompanied by the screeching of brakes and the loud bang of the car door opening and closing.

The assassin had obviously heard the police sirens outside and was rapidly approaching.

Their movements have clearly quickened; a swift victory is necessary!

One of them fired directly at the wardrobe, sending wood chips flying, while the other flanked from the side.

Yusuke Mishima curled up, feeling the vibrations from the bullet piercing the wooden planks, and closed his eyes in despair.

At the critical moment!

"Police! Don't move!" A furious shout came from the direction of the living room.

Yuki Takada rushed into the apartment like a whirlwind and immediately saw his two subordinates lying in a pool of blood. Rage instantly consumed his reason.

Without hesitation, he raised his gun and rushed into the inner room.

Yuki Takada's loud shout attracted the assassin's attention, and the assassin who was flanking him immediately turned his gun and fired continuously towards the bedroom door.

"Puff puff!"

Yuki Takada dodged to the side, and the bullet embedded itself in the door frame.

He seized the fleeting opportunity and, relying on his years of experience and precise marksmanship, peeked out and counterattacked during the lull in the enemy's firing!

"Bang! Bang!" His sidearm roared loudly, probably not having had time to be completely silenced when he rushed into the room, in his haste he didn't care, a stark contrast to the assassin's silenced weapon.

One of the assassins groaned as he was shot in the shoulder, his movements momentarily halted.

Seeing this, the other assassin abandoned his attempt to suppress Yusuke Mishima and opened fire on Yuki Takada with all his might, trying to subdue him.

Intense close-quarters gunfights erupted in the cramped bedroom and hallway!

Bullets whistled through the air, instantly creating several bullet holes in the wall, and furniture was smashed to pieces.

Using the door as cover, Yuki Takada calmly returned fire. His marksmanship was clearly superior, and his precise firepower suppressed the two assassins, preventing them from advancing and making it difficult for them to finish off Yusuke Mishima.

"Mishima Yusuke! Quick, take cover! Don't come out!" Takada Yuki shouted as he changed his magazine.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Yusuke Mishima crawled out from behind the wardrobe, rolled to the other side of the solid bed, and temporarily escaped the direct line of fire.

The assassins exchanged glances, realizing that their mission had encountered a tough opponent, and that large numbers of police reinforcements would be arriving soon.

They began firing alternately, trying to move toward the window, clearly preparing to retreat.

"Trying to run?!" Yuuki Takada saw through their intentions and wasn't about to let them escape again. He charged forward, executed a tactical roll to avoid the line of fire, and instantly closed the distance.

"Bang!" Another shot hit the calf of the assassin who was trying to escape through the window.

The assassin screamed and fell to his knees.

Seeing this, the other assassin's eyes flashed with determination. He raised his gun not to aim at Takada, but directly at his fallen comrade, as if to silence him!

Yuki Takada reacted quickly, pulling the trigger without hesitation just before Takada could!

"boom!"

The bullet struck the assassin's wrist precisely, and the pistol flew out of his hand.

The battle ended in the blink of an eye. One assassin fell to the ground, shot in the leg, while another was wounded in the wrist and lost his weapon.

Yuki Takada strode forward with his gun, kicked away the pistol that had fallen to the ground, and locked the gun barrel firmly onto the two men.

"If you dare to move, I'll blow your heads off!" His voice was icy cold, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

The two assassins collapsed to the ground, curled up in pain and defeat, their eyes still cold and lifeless, devoid of fear, only indifferent to the failure of their mission.