Chapter 252: The Terrible Threat from the Woman in Black

The Hijikata family really lived up to their location next to the police station—the cops showed up just moments after the call.

Shortly after, another wave of all-too-familiar officers arrived on the scene.

Miwako Sato looked at the unconscious Kozaburō Hijikata, still bearing a footprint on his face. Then she glanced at the paparazzi trying to break through the police cordon, chasing the scent of scandal like bloodhounds. She lowered her voice and scolded Jiangxia:

"Didn't you say you'd be more careful next time?"

Jiangxia: "…"

He silently looked over at Ran Mouri, who was standing a few steps away, gazing mournfully at the body.

Thinking of the case she'd oh-so-generously dumped on him, he decided not to argue.

…Forget it. I've carried so many pots already—one more's nothing.

Besides, Officer Sato might've just said that for show. Deep down, she didn't seem to mind this kind of thing.

Taking the hint, Jiangxia replied obediently, "If you're in a rush, I get it. Next time. For real."

Sato looked at him suspiciously, but after being gradually bamboozled by that calm expression of his, she let it go and turned her attention back to the scene.

…

The next day, Jiangxia, with the practiced grace of a regular freeloader, dropped by Dr. Agasa's house for a meal.

The good doctor was tinkering at his workbench, repairing Conan's glasses.

Conan sat on the sofa, pretending to read the newspaper. His expression was… off.

Jiangxia was about to go check out the source of that weird face when the kitchen's range hood clicked off. Haibara Ai, wearing a tiny apron, stepped out.

She set a full plate down on the table, greeted Jiangxia, and immediately noticed Conan's expression.

…Mostly because, the moment Conan finished reading the paper, he turned to stare silently at Jiangxia. Suspicious.

Intrigued, Haibara strolled over and peeked at the newspaper.

Her expression shifted too. She glanced at Jiangxia with a mix of pity and surprise.

Jiangxia: "…?"

He blinked, momentarily blank, then suddenly remembered yesterday's incident—the one he was trying very hard to forget—and had a bad feeling.

He walked over to the two pint-sized fake children and looked down at the paper.

Yup. As expected, it was Hijikata Kozaburō, talking trash.

Ran's legendary invisible roundhouse kick had clearly reached new heights—no matter what supernatural entity she launched you at, you'd live to tell the tale. Barely.

Hijikata had been yeeted into a steel railing so hard it bent. And yet, just a short while after the cops arrived, he woke up.

And, perhaps moved by a noble spirit of "If I go down, I'm taking you with me," he yelled at the reporters that Jiangxia was a fraud detective who solved cases by "stealing scripts" ahead of time.

At first, Jiangxia felt a bit relieved. Finally—some black PR. Maybe the media would run with it, generate drama, stir up the pot…

But as he read further, things took a weird turn.

The article didn't really question his deductive skills. Instead, it started… praising his moral character?

Apparently, to save a complete stranger, he had flung himself off a sixth-floor balcony onto the neighbor's ledge—risking a death-by-sidewalk pancake scenario. The writer called it "brave" and "inspirational."

The article concluded: "Jiangxia, a high school student detective, is not only a fast case-solver but also a person of excellent character—a role model for youth everywhere!"

Jiangxia: "…"

You finally get a smear article and this is what they write? What happened to modern media? Where are the trumped-up charges, the fake evidence, the trial-by-public-opinion?

Haibara, reading the same article, saw the glowing review and relaxed a little.

"Looks like most people still have common sense. That 'script-stealing' line was way too ridiculous anyway. I mean, with all these accidental murders—where are you supposed to get a script?" She shook her head. "The nerve of that guy."

Then she looked at Jiangxia again and noticed his vibe was off. Worse than before.

She reached out her little hand and gave him a gentle, understanding pat:

"Don't worry about it. Scumbags are everywhere. Not worth your time. Come eat—I made your favorite fried shrimp today."

Jiangxia gave a slow nod and sighed inwardly.

Well, at least this time, they weren't bragging about his detective skills. They were bragging about his personality. Somehow that felt… weirder.

Still, this could work in his favor.

This impulsive, "jump off a building to save someone" image—some killers might see it as a sign of exploitable tool-ness. The kind of guy you could rope in as a human shikigami. Not to mention, half the murderers in this world had a gambler's mindset. If Hijikata, the "tough guy" celebrity, claimed Jiangxia stole scripts, some of them might secretly believe it—and then invite Jiangxia to "watch" their next masterpiece up close.

In other words, the future looked bright.

…

"What's with the long face?" Dr. Agasa, fresh from a phone call, returned to the table and noticed Jiangxia's expression. The doctor rubbed his shiny bald head mysteriously and grinned.

"I've got something that'll interest you."

Jiangxia perked up.

Was Doraemon finally delivering a new case?

Seeing he had Jiangxia's full attention, the old man grinned even wider.

"But first… guess what it is."

Haibara glanced between Jiangxia's eager face and the smug look on the doctor's.

Silently, she reached for the little plate of fried shrimp in front of Dr. Agasa with one hand—and the plain salad (no dressing, no joy) with the other, slowly making a swap.

There was menace in the subtlety.

Dr. Agasa: "…"

He vividly recalled those grim, meatless days under Haibara's "green meal plan."

Panicking slightly, he shielded his shrimp and cleared his throat.

"Ahem. Okay, okay, no more games."

He straightened up.

"An old friend of mine signed up for this thing called the 'Izu Mystery Tour' online. He got selected and was supposed to leave tomorrow—but today, his granddaughter came down with a high fever, so he gave me the spot."

He looked meaningfully at Jiangxia, who'd been trending in the news lately, and at Conan, currently cursed with toddler mode.

"This trip seems perfect for you two."

"The organizers already paid for half the accommodation. If you solve the mystery during the tour, they'll cover the rest. Basically—free trip. Three days, two nights. Think of it as a mystery vacation."

*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.

Progress: 26/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS

Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.

Progress:2/10*