"So, you're finally back!"
Professor Agasa, his hands clasped behind his back, waddled over to Conan's side.
"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to lately, and it turns out you were off helping with this," Conan said, turning to look at him.
"I went to help Yusaku with the final stages of the programming," the Professor explained with a proud smile.
Conan glanced around but didn't see a certain actress who specialized in looking far younger than her years.
"Your mom went to a class reunion. By the way, I have a gift for you!" Agasa pulled a badge from his pocket.
It was a credential to participate in the "Cocoon" game.
"The other kids would be so jealous if they saw this," Conan said, taking the badge and glancing back at the trio of younger children.
"There was no other way; there are only fifty spots in total. Your father and I originally intended this badge for Tsuneo," the Professor said, scratching his head with a chuckle.
After all, Shinichi had never shown much interest in video games. On the other hand, the Fixer had been keeping a very close eye on this project.
"I didn't expect that guy to have his own connections to get one," the Great Detective remarked, his face flat.
Love doesn't disappear; it just transfers.
Tsuneo had secured his badge through Saguru Hakuba, and he had gotten his hands on it much earlier than any of the children present.
"Let me give you a little inside scoop: one of the game scenarios is set in London at the end of the 19th century!" the Professor leaned down and whispered.
How about that? Interested now, aren't you?
"Tsuneo already told me that," Conan replied, turning his gaze toward the mystery novelist on the stage.
His father's obsession with that era was as predictable as ever.
"That's strange... neither Yusaku nor I should have mentioned that to anyone," the Professor muttered, scratching his head in confusion. Was it a leak in the media?
A moment later, the lights in the hall dimmed. Accompanied by a dazzling light show, a massive capsule slowly rose onto the stage.
"And now, please feast your eyes on the next generation of gaming—the Cocoon!"
"This capsule governs the five human senses. Whether it's touch, pain, or smell, every sensation is vividly real. Players will be completely immersed in the world of the game."
"It functions by using electrical impulses to stimulate the central nervous system, and it is entirely harmless to the body."
The host on stage continued the introduction.
Professor Agasa and Conan walked over to the other children. The Professor smiled and said, "Since everyone is here and we have some time to kill, how about I give you a riddle?"
"Eh?"
The trio of kids began to whisper among themselves.
"Here we go again. The Professor's riddles are always so cold and boring."
"Should we make a run for it?"
"He probably worked really hard to come up with it. Let's just listen," Ayumi whispered, ever the angel of the group.
The Professor had indeed stayed up all night trying to craft this particular "punny" joke.
"Mr. A, who works at a video game company, couldn't resist temptation while on the job and became obsessed with playing the 'Cocoon' game. When the Chairman saw this, what did he do to Mr. A?"
True to form, Professor Agasa provided three options:
Praised him.
Fired him.
Let him keep playing.
"..." Conan shot the Professor a look of pity.
Even without participating, he felt a sudden chill running down his spine.
The word "Cocoon" referred to a silkworm's cocoon—kaiko in Japanese. And in Japanese, the word for being fired or dismissed is also kaiko.
The three children immediately bolted, and even the bystanders nearby had sweat forming on their brows. They had expected the old man to produce something profound and had actually spent a moment thinking about it. They hadn't expected such a groan-worthy pun.
"Is the air conditioning too high in here? It seems a bit cold for the children," the Professor noted, looking up at the vents and holding out his hands to test the air.
Seems fine to me? What happened?
"Hehehe..."
Conan couldn't bring himself to say anything. Just let it sink in on its own, Professor.
In a dimly lit corridor.
Thomas Schindler walked with a dark, grim expression toward an office located in the basement.
"Seven minutes left."
"If we can't reach an agreement..."
The Chairman was prepared to pay a certain price to keep his secrets buried.
The "seven minutes" he referred to was the duration the hall lights would remain dimmed. During this window, the host would be introducing the "Cocoon," and everyone's eyes would be glued to the stage.
If he was going to act, it had to be now!
Schindler gritted his teeth and pushed open the door to Tadaaki Kashimura's office.
"I have to get back to the hall immediately. Just tell me how much money you want—"
He froze mid-sentence.
In front of Kashimura, there was someone else. It wasn't a company employee; it was a young man he had never seen before.
"How much money for what?" The young man asked, popping a cherry tomato into his mouth and turning his head.
"Who is he?" Schindler asked Kashimura, his voice low and dangerous.
Did you already tell him about that matter?
"To be honest, I don't know who he is either. However, some of his ideas are quite fascinating," Kashimura replied. As the head of development, he naturally recognized the badge pinned to Tsuneo's chest.
He had merely assumed he was chatting with a dedicated gaming enthusiast. The concepts the young man had proposed were intriguing, though there was still a long way to go before such a vast and complex world could be realized.
"It looks like you two have some business to discuss. I should probably head out," Tsuneo said with a smile. As he passed the Chairman, he casually patted the man on the shoulder.
"Wait!"
Thomas Schindler called out to the passing youth. Simultaneously, with a flick of his wrist, he drew a short dagger hidden up his sleeve. With a practiced, chilling smile, he lunged, the cold steel flashing in the darkness.
Things had come to this; he had no choice! He didn't know the relationship between this stranger and Kashimura, nor did he know how much had been said. With two people here, he could spend the remaining time faking a scene of a mutual struggle.
"!!!" Kashimura leaped up from his seat in shock.
What is happening?!
"Is this for me?" Tsuneo asked, his hand firmly gripping the Chairman's wrist. He was still smiling.
This dagger... it looked like it had been taken from one of the statues on display in the hall. It was likely an antique.
"I... I... Yes. Yes, it's a gift for you," Chairman Schindler stammered. His wrist felt like it was being crushed by a steel vise. He bit his lip and nodded frantically.
The young man's three fingers felt like iron pliers. He couldn't move an inch. If he didn't surrender now, what else was there to do?
"In that case, I think we should all sit down and talk about that 'business' you mentioned."
Tsuneo maintained his grip on Schindler's wrist and led him back into the office.
A moment ago, this had nothing to do with me. but since you suddenly pulled a stunt like that, we really need to have a proper chat.
"As the head of development for 'Cocoon,' Tadaaki Kashimura is a dear friend from my university days. Through this project, we've been able to rekindle our old friendship."
Yusaku Kudo was currently being interviewed by the media.
"Thank you, Mr. Kudo. This has been a live report by Shimizu for TMS."
The female host nodded to the camera, signaling the end of the segment.
"Where is Kashimura? I'd like to see him," Yusaku asked a nearby staff member.
"I'll go find him right away."
The staff member nodded and hurried toward the basement workshop.
"Mr. Kudo, please give us your autograph!"
Yusaku saw Conan standing nearby and wanted to walk over, but he was immediately swamped by a group of young women. The crowd grew larger by the second.
The father and son could only share a silent, knowing look across the throng of people.
It had to be said—the fact that these two could accurately guess exactly what the other was thinking was nothing short of miraculous.
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