Chapter 391: Cointreau and Teyvat
"What does Cointreau have to do with any of this?" Toru Amuro's tone dropped, the temperature in his voice plummeting. His jaw tightened slightly. He simply could not fathom how that particular Black Organization member—a man who hadn't even shown his face during this entire ordeal—was somehow entitled to the exact same high-level intelligence as him. "He really does have a remarkably good relationship with your Teyvat Organization, doesn't he."
"Yes, the relationship is indeed quite good." Ganyu nodded in earnest agreement, completely bypassing the biting sarcasm laced in Amuro's words. Her serene expression didn't waver. "Mr. Cointreau's cooperation and exchanges with our organization have always proceeded smoothly. Our members find him quite pleasant to work with. In fact, our boss actually likes him quite a bit. Naturally, we don't mind making things convenient for him and providing a little extra assistance when needed."
Amuro fell silent. A muscle ticked in his cheek. What was he even supposed to say to that? Was this just classic Cointreau? The man's professional networking abilities were terrifyingly effective. Despite having absolutely no clear, established connection to the Jade Chamber, and merely executing a handful of casual deals with Kaeya, Cointreau had somehow managed to get heavyweights like Ningguang and Ganyu to bend over backward for him.
More, when did the elusive boss of the Teyvat Organization even cross paths with Cointreau? Amuro, an intelligence specialist, hadn't caught a single whisper of such a meeting. Comparing his own progress to that man's was enough to make his blood boil. To this very day, Amuro didn't even know if Teyvat's leader was male or female. Yet, somehow, Cointreau had already secured their personal favor. How exactly did he pull that off?
Speaking of which, as a seasoned intelligence officer, Amuro prided himself on his charm and manipulation tactics. He was supposed to be the expert at honey traps and building rapport. Why was it that the goodwill these Teyvat members extended to him paled in comparison to what they offered Cointreau? He clearly remembered their first encounter—Kaeya's initial attitude toward Cointreau had been downright hostile. Yet here they were.
Just as Amuro was mentally wrestling with this frustrating puzzle, heavy footsteps echoed down the corridor. Kogoro Mouri's group, drawn by the earlier commotion, hurried toward the lounge.
With a loud bang, Kogoro shoved the heavy lounge doors wide open. He stood in the doorway, chest heaving. "What's wrong? Is everyone alright? We heard glass shattering in here. What the hell happened?"
Stepping further inside, Kogoro's eyes immediately locked onto the massive, jagged hole in the exterior window. Cold wind whipped through the broken glass, rustling the curtains. He glanced between Amuro and Ganyu, who stood calmly near the wreckage. "Did something fall out?" Kogoro asked, scratching the back of his head in confusion. "Also, where did Mr. Gunter go? I don't see him anywhere."
"And where is Conan?" Ran pushed past her father, her violet eyes scanning the room frantically. A terrible knot of anxiety had formed in her stomach the moment she heard the crash. Not seeing the little boy among the debris only spiked her panic. Had something awful happened to him again?
"Alas, Mr. Gunter is the culprit who attacked the employees," Ganyu explained, offering a soft, apologetic sigh. "He let the truth slip during our conversation earlier, and I managed to record his confession. Unfortunately, although we briefly apprehended him, a momentary lapse in our guard allowed him to break the glass and escape through that window." She gestured gracefully toward the shattered pane. "As for Conan, he excused himself to use the restroom a short while ago and simply hasn't returned yet."
"Speaking of which, Conan has been in that restroom for quite a long time. Why isn't he back yet?" Amuro mused aloud, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. He had long noticed that the amount of time the boy spent in bathrooms during critical moments was highly abnormal., whenever Amuro accompanied Kogoro to crime scenes, Conan always seemed to conveniently sprint off to the restroom right when the investigation peaked. It was a pattern that had firmly planted seeds of suspicion in Amuro's mind. Was this exceptionally clever child secretly pulling strings behind the scenes?
"Ran-neechan! Amuro-niichan! I'm right here!"
Down the hall, Conan sprinted toward the lounge. He had heard Kogoro's booming voice filtering through his hidden eavesdropping device and instantly knew his window of opportunity was closing. If he stayed hidden any longer, the adults would definitely grow suspicious. Hearing Bourbon actively question his whereabouts was the final push. Terrified that the blonde intelligence agent might start connecting the dots, Conan pitched his voice into a childish, innocent shout to announce his arrival.
Bursting into the room, he made a beeline straight for the low coffee table. Capitalizing on the brief moment their attention shifted toward the doorway, his small hand darted out, swiftly recovering the tiny bug planted beneath the table's edge and slipping it into his pocket.
His heart hammered against his ribs, but despite the immense risk he had just taken, Conan felt a surge of triumph. The intelligence he had gathered was a massive haul. He certainly hadn't expected that, even before the Black Organization could be properly dealt with, a completely new faction known as the Zoo Syndicate would suddenly emerge from the shadows. And from the sound of the audio feed, this new syndicate was already deeply entangled with Kaitou Kid.
, what shocked him even more was the stark contrast between Bourbon and Cointreau. Cointreau's relationship with the Teyvat Organization was terrifyingly close. Today was also the very first time Conan had heard any concrete intelligence regarding Teyvat's mysterious boss. Behind his oversized glasses, Conan's mind raced, echoing the exact same question that plagued Bourbon: 'How exactly did Cointreau do it?' How could one man manipulate the leaders of completely different, highly dangerous organizations into treating him so favorably, to the point where their elite subordinates willingly handed over free intelligence?
Amuro watched the small boy standing quietly by the coffee table for a long, calculating moment. He then turned to Ran, masking his sharp scrutiny behind a veil of gentle, brotherly concern. "Ran, I've noticed that Conan tends to run to the restroom quite frequently. Is he feeling alright? Does he perhaps need to see a doctor?"
Beside them, Kogoro and Sonoko Suzuki huddled around Ganyu. The Qixing secretary had just replayed the audio recording on her device, and the two of them listened intently, finally confirming without a shadow of a doubt that Gunter was indeed the mastermind behind the attacks.
Catching Amuro's question, Kogoro waved a hand through the air in utter dismissal. "Ah, it's fine. This brat is just a handful. He doesn't go to the bathroom much on a normal day, but the second we step foot into a crime scene, he instantly ducks into the nearest restroom." Kogoro clicked his tongue, crossing his arms and glaring down at the boy. "Tsk. And he actually runs around saying he wants to be a detective? What kind of detective has a bladder that weak!"
"Dad!" Ran planted her hands firmly on her hips, shooting her father a fierce, dissatisfied glare. "Why can't Conan be a detective? He's incredibly smart for his age! Didn't he point out crucial clues and remind you of things several times when you were solving cases before?"
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