Conan's other self

"Director Ochiai!?"

The helmet was taken off, revealing a face he had seen before.

Director Ochiai was silent.

"What are you doing?" Mouri Kogoro asked suspiciously.

In the dark exhibition hall, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and their hearts dropped again.

Director Ochiai held his helmet with one hand, seemingly confused and relieved. After a while, he exhaled a long breath, "I——"

"Oh, I know!" Mouri Kogoro suddenly had an idea, "It was you that the guards saw before, right? You were hiding here to secretly scare tourists, trying to arouse people's curiosity... Tsk, I knew it, Xiaolan , I’ve told you a long time ago, this is just a trick used by the art museum to attract tourists!”

"Uh..." Director Ochiai was stunned.

"How about it? I exposed the trick. You have nothing to say?" Mouri Kogoro said proudly, "But I didn't expect you to be quite dedicated... You are still doing this kind of work yourself at such an old age..."

"...This gentleman...is really discerning, that's right," Ochiai took a long breath, "That's what you said."

"Dad, he is a detective!"

"…detective?"

"Ahem, that's right!" Uncle Maori adjusted his collar, took out a business card from his pocket and handed it over, "I am the famous Kogoro Maori!"

During the exchange between Uncle Mouri and Director Ochiai, Ayumi regained consciousness and ran around to join Feng Yuan, Genta, Mitsuhiko and others. Conan stared at Director Ochiai's profile, frowning, lost in thought.

He always felt something was wrong.

What exactly is Director Ochiai doing here?

"So you can actually visit here?" Xiaolan asked.

"...That's right."

"But there is a no entry sign outside?" Conan interjected.

"Ah, um... maybe I forgot to put it away. As I get older, I forget things easily." Director Ochiai bent down and said to Conan, "I'm sorry, kid."

After saying a few words casually, Director Ochiai took off his armor, transformed into a tour guide, and led the group to visit the hell exhibition hall.

The most eye-catching thing in the hell exhibition hall, and also the most valuable to visit, is a huge painting, which is several people tall, called "God's Punishment". It depicts the scene of a righteous knight subduing the devil.

It looked a bit scary, but it was very spectacular. Both Uncle Maori and Xiaolan were slightly fascinated by it.

Director Ochiai stood behind, but he seemed to be trapped in the painting.

"Um..." Ayumi cautiously approached Director Ochiai and pulled his clothes.

"Um…?"

"Thank you, Grandpa Knight!" Ayumi said in unison, with Genta and Mitsuhiko standing behind.

"Thank you, Grandpa Knight, for saving me just now!" Ayumi's eyes were as bright as ever, "If it weren't for Grandpa Knight, Ayumi would have suffered a painful fall!"

"Also, yes, I'm sorry," Genta tilted his head and said uncomfortably, "I said bad things about you before."

Maplehara and Conan stood aside, watching this scene and observing Director Ochiai's reaction.

Director Ochiai looked into Ayumi's eyes as if he was stunned, and then couldn't help but look away.

"It's okay," Director Ochiai bent down and touched Ayumi's head, "This is... what should be done."

"That's great," Xiaolan was smiling at the side, and Uncle Maori snorted disdainfully, "But, you guys, please don't be so naughty in the future, okay?"

It's really fun.

Maplehara glanced at Conan, "What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking--"

Conan stopped talking.

There were clear footsteps outside.

"Boss Zhenzhong?" Xiaolan said in surprise when she saw the person coming.

Conan's eyes flashed with light.

"Why are there so many people?" Boss Manaka put his hands in his pockets and looked disdainful. He glanced at everyone and then said directly to Director Ochiai: "Hey, old man, why did you call me here? Do you think there are many tourists?"

"you--"

"Forget it, forget it, I'm not interested in hearing what you have to say anymore. I guess you just begged me with snot and tears," Manaka turned around, waved his hand, and left directly, "You'd better save some energy to think about what's next. Go beg for food somewhere!”

"why is it like this…"

"Damn it! What an annoying uncle!" Genta said unhappily as he watched Boss Manaka leave.

To most people here, this is just a sideshow.

Ayumi thoughtfully ran to comfort "Grandpa Knight", and Curator Ochiai quickly "cheered up" and cheered up to continue explaining to the group.

However, many of the paintings in the hell exhibition hall have been removed. Except for the "God's Punishment", there are not many things. After visiting for a while, everyone planned to go to other exhibition halls that they had not been to yet.

Director Ochiai said that he would stay and sort out the armor.

That's what he said, but he was actually just standing in the shadows, watching "Condemnation" in trance.

"Although the knight of justice subdued the demon, he was also baptized by the blood of the demon and will eventually become a demon... I think this is the meaning of the name "Crimson".

Conan stepped out of the shadows, hands in his pockets.

Director Ochiai turned around and was a little surprised to see Conan.

"I thought it would be a Maori detective."

"...Uncle asked me to come." Conan borrowed the donkey, "Director Ochiai, you are hiding here in armor because you want to kill Boss Manaka, right?

You deliberately arranged to meet Boss Zhenzhong here, and put a no-entry sign at the entrance. You wore armor and waited for Boss Zhenzhong to come over.

You plan to take advantage of his unpreparedness and launch an attack from behind... Most of the paintings here have been removed, but this one "God's Punishment" was left behind. I guess you also wanted to imitate this painting by wearing armor.

In the end, the surveillance video could only capture a pair of armor killing Boss Manaka. Director Ochiai, am I right? "

"...That's right." Director Ochiai admitted simply.

"I noticed it before. There was a pen on the table, but I couldn't write. There was also a note on the wall over there, which said Kubota," Conan continued, "This is why you want to frame the blame. Other people’s methods, right?”

"That's true."

Director Ochiai took a few steps forward and looked at Conan, "You are right...kid, but is it really Detective Mori who sent you here?"

"... Stop it, Director Ochiai." Conan was silent for a moment, and then said, "No matter what... it is wrong to take away other people's lives at will."

Conan did not respond directly to Director Ochiai, and Director Ochiai did not respond directly to Conan.

Director Ochiai walked back to "Category" and said slowly: "I love this place deeply, and every painting here is like my child... But there are fewer and fewer tourists, and the business situation is getting worse and worse... I actually had a premonition that this place would not be able to survive, but when I heard Manaka said that he would continue to operate, I was still very excited."

"It turned out that it was just a lie." Director Ochiai paused, "I know that it was not Manaka that ruined all this... but people's forgetfulness. Even if we continue to operate like this, it will not help... But I am still furious, Wanting to end this...I'm...probably just tired."

"It's just a pity for these paintings..." Director Ochiai muttered to himself, his voice getting deeper and deeper.

"Compared to these paintings, I still think the glory of human nature is more precious."

"Maplehara?"

Maplehara nodded to Conan, then looked at Director Ochiai, "I forgot to mention it before - thank you, Grandpa Knight, for saving Ayumi."

"A person like me is not worthy of being a knight," Director Ochiai smiled bitterly, "Besides, even if the little girl falls, it won't be a big deal."

"But you still subconsciously went to help her. She is very grateful to you." Fengyuan said, "Let's go, Conan."

"Hello--"

"Ah, by the way, Grandpa Knight," Maplehara, who pulled Conan away, looked back at Director Ochiai, "That little girl's name is Yoshida Ayumi. Don't let her down."