"By the way, I need to go deposit the prize money I received yesterday," Dr. Agasa said with a smile, pulling out a thick envelope.
Judging by the thickness of the envelope, the prize money inside was quite substantial.
"Huh?" Tsuneo was somewhat surprised.
Did this old man finally come to his senses and create an invention that normal humans can appreciate?
And he even entered it into a competition and won an award?
"It's from the article that fellow wrote last time, isn't it?" Conan glanced at Haibara, who was playing with her new handbag.
Come to think of it, the Repairman sure was fast; he had bought this branded bag the very next day.
He's probably afraid of being sliced up for research...
"That fellow?"
"Are you referring to me?" Haibara placed the bag beside her with a satisfied air, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned as she asked.
I have to earn some extra income to subsidize the household expenses occasionally, after all.
The great detective gave her a deadpan stare but didn't say anything.
"Let's go, Professor. I'll drive you," Tsuneo said, picking Conan up as if he were a handbag and turning around.
"Sounds good! How about we have sukiyaki at home tonight? We can buy meat on the way back!" The Professor steered the topic back to food.
"Hey, can you put me down..." Conan said, clutching his soccer ball, his short legs dangling in the air.
Where on earth are you taking me...
"I'm dropping you back home on the way."
Beika Bank.
The Professor was waiting at the window to deposit the money.
"Was it really necessary to drive all the way here just to deposit money?" Conan sat in the waiting area, looking at the Repairman beside him with a speechless expression.
We could have just found any branch to deposit it. Was it necessary to come to the main branch? It's incredibly crowded.
"If we went to one of those small branches, we might get robbed. At least this place is safer," Tsuneo said, looking around the spacious and bright lobby where several security guards could be seen.
"Heh, heh, heh..." Conan laughed weakly.
Are you traumatized by the 'Shoushiro' case? Since when do that many people rob banks?
Just as the great detective had this thought, a staff member in front of him dropped the files in her hands, scattering them all over the floor. At the same time, she pointed toward the entrance, her face contorted with terror.
"Honestly..." At first, Conan didn't see her expression. He hopped off his seat and squatted down to help her pick up the scattered documents.
How can there be such clumsy staff in broad daylight?
"Speak of the devil," Tsuneo said, following her gaze and turning his head to look at the bank entrance.
Two figures in black hoods and leather jackets, wielding two pistols and carrying two duffel bags.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The two men who had just burst in moved quickly to lock the glass doors, then fired three consecutive shots into the ceiling. The sound of gunfire drew everyone's attention, and all eyes turned toward them.
"Robbers!"
"There are robbers!"
There were a lot of people in the bank lobby. There were twenty or thirty people just in front of the windows, not counting those like Tsuneo and Conan who were sitting and waiting.
"Oi, oi, oi!" Conan's expression was priceless.
Th-This can't be possible. We actually ran into a bank robbery!
"Everyone, hands on your heads and squat on the ground!"
The two hooded robbers were about the same height, but one was fat and the other thin, making them quite distinct. The one shouting right now was the fat robber.
His voice sounded somewhat goofy, but the dark muzzle of his gun showed no hesitation. He fired a shot directly at a security guard who was trying to sneak forward, dropping him instantly—whether dead or alive, it was unclear.
"Ahhh!"
Blood splattered, and screams erupted across the scene.
It had to be said, sometimes those screams did more to heighten the atmosphere of terror than anything else.
"Two pistols... do they have the means to kill this many people?" Tsuneo remained seated, watching the crowd as they squatted and slowly moved toward one corner of the bank.
"Hey, do you even know what you're saying?"
Conan crouched down, hiding under the chairs. He wanted to twist the dial on his shoes and use the belt the Professor had just given him to create a soccer ball.
But the thinner robber was standing right next to a group of hostages, pointing his gun at them. If the gun went off accidentally, it would be far too dangerous.
"Did you hear me? Do not press the alarm button! Come out obediently, or else..." The fat robber stood by the counter, shouting through the full pane of specially made glass at the staff inside.
"That glass... bullets can't penetrate it, right..." Tsuneo and the others were now hiding behind several tall, lush potted plants, concealing themselves as they secretly watched the situation at the counter.
Conan was also puzzled. The bank used specially customized glass; its bulletproof properties went without saying.
Why is he shouting so confidently?
In the next instant, the great detective understood. A look of shock appeared on his face, and even Tsuneo, who had remained as steady as an old dog, felt his pupils contract.
The fat robber pulled something out of his duffel bag—a square object that looked like a courier box. But the exposed wires left no doubt as to what it was.
It was a bomb!
"They're playing a bit big here," Tsuneo muttered, turning his head slightly to look at the thin robber who was lecturing the hostages and confiscating their phones.
Asking Dr. Agasa to squat with his head in his hands... that's really asking the impossible of him...
"Heh heh heh, let's have a face-to-face chat then!" The fat robber's negotiations with the bank manager didn't seem to be going smoothly. Holding what looked like a remote detonator, he left the bomb on the counter and stepped back slowly.
The bomb was two sizes larger than a shoebox. If there wasn't any filler inside, forget about the glass counter—the staff inside wouldn't stand a chance either.
The man's finger was resting right on the detonator's button. Any sudden movement could set it off directly.
Because of this, neither Tsuneo nor Conan made any rash moves.
"W-Wait! Wait a moment!"
The bespectacled manager shouted loudly.
"Heh, glad you know what's good for you..." The fat robber, who had retreated seven or eight meters, stopped and slowly walked back toward the counter.
"In this situation, that manager's life is going to be difficult after this, isn't it?" Tsuneo shook his head as he watched the robber start packing money.
Don't talk about emergency decision-making or whatever. Unless the place actually gets blown up, he's in trouble.
"Six minutes left," Conan said, looking at the detonator the man had tossed onto the counter, then checking his watch.
"What do you mean?" Tsuneo thought the bomb had a timer on it and looked closer.
"The time until the police arrive," the great detective explained.
Do you really think just because you shout 'don't call the police,' they won't call the police?
The staff likely pressed the alarm the moment the two men appeared at the door.
"Hurry it up!" Clearly, the fat robber had calculated the time as well. He glanced at the clock on the wall, his eyes growing fiercer, his finger hovering near the detonator.
Trembling with fear, the staff member passed stacks of banknotes out through the window.
"Next, they should start selecting hostages."
Conan looked at the time and the two duffel bags that were gradually puffing up, then spoke.
He's not so much a famous detective... he's clearly a great prophet...
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