"Inspector Nakamori, the crowd is still surging forward! At this rate, we won't be able to maintain the perimeter!" an officer stationed by a patrol car shouted into his radio.
The police were the ones suffering while the rich played their games. Who could they even complain to? It was unheard of—someone spending a fortune to advertise the fact that they were about to be robbed. Flyers, television spots, full-page newspaper ads... Jirokichi Suzuki had used every marketing tool in the book.
"Good grief..."
"Fine! If they want to see it that badly, let the crowd through!" Inspector Nakamori barked. He was terrified of a riot breaking out; his men were already at their breaking point.
Besides, the thief was supposed to walk through the air anyway. A crowd on the ground shouldn't interfere with that.
Nakamori looked up at the sky, which was practically carpeted with helicopters. He couldn't help but feel a grudging respect for that old man's sheer financial power.
Meanwhile, Conan had quietly slipped into the area. He stood at a distance, watching as Jirokichi Suzuki made a grand entrance on his motorcycle, basking in the glow of the media spotlight. The Advisor of the Suzuki Financial Group was currently giving a live interview.
There was less than an hour left before the main event.
"Heh! That fellow might have pulled off a clever little magic trick last night, but tonight, I'll ensure everyone witnesses a capture more spectacular than a Hollywood blockbuster!"
The old man was as energetic and boisterous as ever.
Once the interview concluded, Conan trailed behind him, eventually making his way into the massive mobile broadcast van used for the previous night's transmission.
"You want to see the footage of the Phantom Thief again?" The staff inside were frantic; they were operating even more cameras tonight than before.
"Yeah! Uncle Mouri told me to take another close look!" Conan chirped, putting on his best 'innocent child' act. He had a specific goal: he still hadn't fully cracked the secret behind the trick.
"The recordings from last night have already been sent over to the crew working on the autobiographical film," a staff member replied, glancing at the boy. He remembered this kid had watched the tapes dozens of times already.
"Eh?!" Conan's disappointment was visible.
"All video data must be handed over to the police for analysis once this is over," Inspector Nakamori said, walking in with his arms crossed. "The Phantom Thief's actions this time are far too flamboyant. We need to study them."
In truth, Nakamori's words suggested a sinking feeling in his gut. He had a premonition that, despite the massive dragnet, they might fail to catch him again. The spectacle was grand, but without understanding the trick, the thief would simply vanish into thin air just like the night before.
Conan was stuck on the same point.
Beyond the white-clad thief, he was also curious about what kind of gadget Professor Agasa—the "evil scientist" in the lab coat—had spent all night crafting...
On the roof of the office building, Tsuneo and the others were watching the live broadcast from Nichiuri TV.
The tea service had been cleared away, replaced by a portable wireless television. Kogoro Mouri sat there, puffing on a cigarette and looking unimpressed as the broadcast cut to another commercial.
At the end of the day, this whole thing felt like one giant advertisement for the museum. They were even doing segments on the various exhibits inside.
"That is the power of a Corporate Advisor," Tsuneo said with a faint smile.
Even if he was the boss's grand-uncle, one didn't get to be the advisor of a global conglomerate without serious merit. Jirokichi Suzuki knew exactly what he was doing.
"My grand-uncle never misses an opportunity for publicity," Sonoko said, giving a thumbs-up. "He considers every bit of aerial footage to be potential material for a commercial. He's a total old fox when it comes to business!"
"I wonder how many tickets they'd have to sell just to break even on the cost of this stunt," Tsuneo remarked, looking skeptical.
The cost of mobilizing this many helicopters and renting out several multi-story office buildings for the night had to be astronomical. If this was just to promote a museum, he'd be losing his shirt.
But for that old man, creating a massive scene, capturing the Phantom Thief, and hogging the limelight was the only thing that mattered.
Money? Money was irrelevant.
"I hope Conan is okay," Ran said, glancing down at the street with a worried expression. The crowd was becoming a sea of people.
"Don't worry. They just showed him on TV a second ago, standing right next to my grand-uncle," Sonoko waved off her concerns.
As she spoke, the commercials ended. The Nichiuri TV host returned to the screen, voice brimming with excitement.
"There is now only one minute left until the time specified in the Phantom Thief's notice!"
"The fans gathered here have already begun the countdown!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, let us witness a miracle once more!"
Tsuneo and the group turned their eyes toward the space between the two towers. If the thief followed his pattern, he would appear exactly where he had promised.
Pop!
As the countdown hit zero, a dull thud echoed through the air. A cloud of thick white smoke erupted out of nowhere, and as it dissipated, the thief in white stood before them, hands casually tucked into his pockets, suspended in mid-air.
"He appeared!"
"Just as he promised, the Phantom Thief has appeared in the sky!" the host screamed into the microphone.
Kogoro Mouri stared at the figure, rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
From their vantage point, they were only about twenty meters away. Even at this distance, he couldn't see any wires or mechanical supports. The way the thief simply manifested out of thin air was haunting. It was as if he truly had the supernatural power to turn into mist.
"Kid-sama!" Sonoko cried out, firmly planted at the front lines of the fandom.
"How is this possible?!"
Inside the broadcast van, Jirokichi Suzuki—who had been certain the thief wouldn't dare show his face again—stared at the monitors with wide, bulging eyes. "With this many helicopters in the air, it's impossible to use a hang glider! How on earth did he get there?"
Conan glanced up at the old man.
"Helicopter Seven! Seven, what's your status?" a technician shouted. As a light drizzle began to fall outside, the feed from Helicopter No. 7 suddenly cut to black.
No. 7 was positioned directly above the Phantom Thief.
"This is Seven. No abnormalities to report," the pilot's voice crackled back. "It might be the rain interfering with the camera equipment. The signal is dropping out."
"Don't let your guard down! Keep your eyes peeled!" Inspector Nakamori barked into his police radio. He knew that even if the thief was in the sky, they couldn't neglect the ground. That slippery bastard was capable of anything.
Bathed in the searchlights of the surrounding choppers, Kaito Kid began to take slow, deliberate steps through the air toward the museum.
"I see..."
Watching the blacked-out screen of Helicopter Seven, a smirk spread across Conan's face. So that's it. It finally makes sense!
"Immediately swap the 'Blue Wonder' on the museum roof!" Jirokichi Suzuki suddenly commanded his staff, a devious glint in his eyes. He was moving to his backup plan.
With the press of a single button, the real treasure would be replaced by a fake.
Inspector Nakamori stared at him, speechless. This old man is even more of a cheat than the thief!
(End of Chapter)
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