Chapter 10

"Hey, are you even listening to me, kid?" Tang Ze put on a mock-irritated expression and rubbed Conan's little head hard.

"Huh?" Conan tilted his head, looking adorably confused.

"You, kid, may have amazing deductive skills, but in the end, you're still a child. It's okay if you don't understand these things."

Tang Ze, seeing the confused look on Conan's face, wanted to laugh but maintained a very serious expression because he was still acting. "But listen up. I know you might feel that no one believes a child's deductions, which is why you chose to act alone this time. However, you're not allowed to do that anymore. This case has already proven your abilities. If something comes up, you can talk to me, and I'll listen to your opinions. If you're interested in cases, I'll support you, but you're not allowed to act alone anymore, got it?"

"I... I understand..."

Conan stammered in response, but his mind was still a blur.

Who am I? Where am I? What should I do...

Oh right, I was caught and was about to come up with an excuse, but why did Officer Tang Ze say such a long speech?

I understand each word individually, but when they're put together, why am I so confused...

Only after Tang Ze finished his lecture did Conan seem to come back to his senses.

His brain gradually started working, finally digesting what Tang Ze had said.

"Phew, it seems Detective Tang Ze is treating me like a mature young boy like him." Conan let out a sigh of relief upon realizing this.

"Yeah, how could a normal person think I'm a high school student who has been rejuvenated? But perhaps it's because Detective Tang Ze, when he was young, also had his mature words ignored, so he just imagined a lot on his own..."

Thinking about this, Conan couldn't help but feel relieved and grateful for his good luck.

"You're still a child and can't protect yourself. Like this time, even if you found the culprit, you lacked the ability to defend yourself, making it easy to get into danger."

Tang Ze repeated his warning, "Next time, if you have any discoveries, you can talk to me, got it? I'll take your opinions seriously."

"Sure~ I understand." Conan put on a cute, obedient look and then hesitated, "Then my..."

"Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret. After all, many ordinary people don't understand the world of us talented individuals, right?" Tang Ze said, putting on a mature, experienced air.

"Thank you." Conan felt a weight lift off his chest upon hearing this.

Moreover, it seemed that being discovered by Tang Ze wasn't entirely without benefits.

After all, having someone who can communicate with him on an equal, mature level without resorting to cutesy behavior was quite good.

Especially since he was a detective, he could provide Conan with a lot of convenience in investigating cases and gathering information.

This discovery felt more like a blessing in disguise, as if he had gained something from a misfortune.

And more importantly, Conan felt that he would probably get fewer beatings from Uncle Mouri when he ran around crime scenes in the future.

After their conversation, Tang Ze called Inspector Megure, and the three of them hurried over.

"Hey! You little brat!! Running around again, did you cause trouble for Detective Tang Ze!" Mouri Kogoro didn't even bother to assess the situation before giving Conan a whack on the head.

"No, no, this time Conan was a big help."

Tang Ze quickly stepped forward, using the story they had agreed on to explain to the three of them.

"You mean this brat made Abe Toyo confess!?" Mouri Kogoro looked skeptical.

"Yes, this time we owe a lot to Conan. When Conan proposed the idea, I was really surprised." Tang Ze smiled, "But this kid is really smart and wasn't afraid at all. When Abe Toyo saw that the person deducing was a child, he confessed everything, which was recorded on the tape recorder."

After that, Tang Ze apologized, "Sorry, Inspector Megure, the situation was urgent, and I didn't have time to report."

"It's fine, sometimes you have to act quickly. And if not for this, Abe Toyo might have escaped." Inspector Megure, being a just and good police officer, was quite magnanimous.

Of course, it might also be because the suspect was highly hated, and the situation was indeed urgent. Compared to letting the suspect escape, these were minor issues.

"Wow, Conan-kun, you did great!" Ran smiled and patted Conan's head, "I didn't expect you to have such acting talent."

"No... no, not really." Conan waved his hands, "I just read the script Detective Tang Ze wrote for me. The deductions are all thanks to Detective Tang Ze."

"Right, that's it. Let the credit come in waves~"

Tang Ze looked calm, but inside, he was overjoyed.

This was a well-thought-out decision Tang Ze made after seeing Conan act alone, including how to explain after discovering Conan's secret. Tang Ze had thoughtfully considered everything for Conan.

That self-imagination was actually quite logical, while the truth seemed more like a fairy tale.

In reality, many things are like this: dramatic truths are not believed, while false, logical stories are more readily accepted.

After putting Abe Toyo in the police car, Tang Ze said goodbye to Mouri Kogoro and the others and took the suspect back to the police station.

"Ha, this guy finally got what he deserved. You did a good job, kid~"

Mouri Kogoro angrily rubbed Conan's head, looking like he had let off some steam, "This is something to celebrate. Let's go eat something good today~"

"I want sushi." Ran said happily, "I haven't had it in a long time~"

"Huh? No, I prefer oden. It's great with alcohol~" Mouri Kogoro looked reluctant and then his face lit up at the mention of alcohol.

"Okay~ Let's vote~" Ran looked at Conan with a mischievous smile, "You want sushi too, right~"

"Sure."

Faced with his wife's request for cooperation, Conan decisively provided support.

"Two to one, it's sushi~" Ran said with a chuckle.

"Huh? My oden..." Mouri Kogoro, though reluctant, happily agreed to his daughter's request.

On the other side, Tang Ze finished taking Abe Toyo's statement, and the case was considered closed. The rest would be handled by the prosecution, which was no longer within Tang Ze's jurisdiction.

Their job was to arrest the suspect, and that was enough.

A few days after the case was over, Tang Ze received a call for help from Conan.

But when Tang Ze rushed to the scene, the case was already over, leaving him speechless...