Conan lowered his head in thought.
'There's a moth on your chair back'...
He had just checked, and there were no bugs on the chair back. Was Chi Feichei just making an excuse to interrupt him?
No, specifically pointing out 'moth' means 'moth' must have some deeper meaning.
Moth habits... no.
Rearranging Romaji order... doesn't work.
Wait, could it be English Language?
Chi Feichei seemed to specifically mention English Language before. A few days ago at the Game Arcade, Chi Feichei had been speaking Japanese with Teacher Judy the whole time.
The English Language word for moth is 'moth', and 'moth' itself doesn't have any deep meaning, but 'moth' also has another meaning: 'woodworm'. It generally refers to pests that bore into wood or fur to feed, prefer dark and quiet living environments, and flee immediately when they encounter Vibration...
Pests that bore into wood? On the chair back?
A flash of inspiration struck Conan's mind, and he immediately understood.
A pest that bores into wood on the chair back, meaning, a thug accomplice is mixed among the passengers, right behind him!
Furthermore, combining the habits of woodworms with the other party's actions of blending in with the passengers, it also indicates that this is a thug accomplice who 'wants to keep the passengers quiet, will react to abnormalities, and notify his companion'!
How dangerous! If he had secretly Report to Police just now, he would have been discovered by the thug accomplice behind him, who would have notified the two thugs in front. His outcome would definitely not have been good...
Around them, Akai Shuichi, Belmode, and Jodie also gradually understood the meaning of Chi Feichei's words—
There's another thug accomplice!
Indeed, reports about Yajima Kunio did mention that Yajima Kunio had three accomplices on the run. Besides the two thugs, there should be one more person.
And Chi Feichei being able to accurately indicate that the person is behind Conan is not a guess, but a Judgment supported by Evidence, even already locked on.
However, when did Chi Feichei discover it?
In the last row, Akai Shuichi silently recalled the entire History just now.
He was definitely not a thug accomplice, so that only left the two people next to him...
Conan pretended to be a Child who didn't understand things, using the side of his shoe to kick the iron rod on the side under the Seat intermittently, making the iron rod clatter softly.
Tap, tap-tap... tap, tap, tap... tap, tap-tap, tap, tap... tap-tap, tap-tap, tap...
Morse code, Morse Code, a Signal code, expressing different English Language letters, numbers, and punctuation marks through different arrangement orders.
Around them, those who understood were silently deciphering in their hearts.
Do you mean the man...
Are you talking about the Man wearing a Hat behind me?
Akai Shuichi: "..."
Should he explain that he wasn't?
Originally, he wasn't going to do anything to attract attention, but seeing these two using both Cipher and Morse Code, it made him feel a little eager to try...
For Chi Feichei to be able to distinguish clearly, Conan kicked twice and planned to kick again.
However...
"Annoying Kid!" the Red Hat thug roared, turning his Head back. "Quiet down! If you move around again, I'll start killing with you!"
He really can't tolerate even the slightest Movement... Woodworm!
Chi Feichei, Conan, Belmode, Jodie, and Akai Shuichi cursed in their hearts in unison.
Hijacking the Bus is fine, but can they not disturb their Communication/watching the Excitement?
Akai Shuichi thought for a moment. Seeing this Situation, Chi Feichei probably wasn't convenient to imitate a Child kicking a Chair. He had to explain... Okay, mainly his interest was piqued, and he couldn't help but want to Get Involved.
Hmm, he'll just Get Involved a little bit...
Even an Ordinary Person can learn about Morse Code out of hobby.
"Cough cough, cough cough... cough cough, cough..."
Akai Shuichi joined the group chat.
Conan was taken aback for a moment.
The Man wearing a Hat behind him?
Silently translating: I'm not a woodworm.
Since he could understand their Communication and didn't hint to the two thugs that they were secretly communicating, then, this Man shouldn't be Lying.
Moreover, if this Man were a thug accomplice and used Cough to transmit Information, Doctor Agasa also coughed from time to time, which would easily confuse the two Criminals in front. A thug accomplice shouldn't choose such an unreliable Method.
Basic Suspicion can be ruled out.
Moreover, he didn't expect there to be other people on the Car who could communicate together. Then solving these thugs would be even simpler...
Chi Feichei didn't expect Akai Shuichi to Get Involved as well, and fell into Silence.
Discovering there was another thug accomplice was enough.
If he forcefully ended things prematurely again, his Performance would be a bit too much.
He should still wait and see...
Seeing that Chi Feichei remained silent and didn't make any other Movement, Conan guessed that Chi Feichei should be inconvenient to do anything else, so as not to provoke the thugs.
Now, apart from the Man behind him who could Cough and transmit Information, he and Chi Feichei were not very convenient to make any noise. Basic Communication was still difficult.
Hmm... he should still first distinguish which of the remaining two people behind him was the thug accomplice!
What should he do...?
The Bus continued to drive forward.
After the Police received the Emergency Call from the Bus Company, they also began to take Action.
Behind the Bus, Police Cars gradually followed from a distance, Reporting the Situation to Inspector Megure.
"The hijacked Bus is heading towards Takahido Well! The speed is about 50 kilometers per Hour!"
On the Second floor of a roadside shop, Wataru Takagi observed the Situation inside the Bus with Binoculars, and nervously said to the Communication earphone, "This is Point E, I'm Takagi! I've already seen the hijacked Bus! There are two Criminals, both wearing Ski Suits, Hats, and Goggles, so their faces can't be seen. They have Guns in their hands, what should we do? Inspector Megure!"
Inspector Megure, who was in charge at the Bus Company, considered it and decided to release Yajima Kunio, and also had the Bus Company connect to the Intercom on that Bus to communicate with the thugs.
"Hahaha..." The White Hat thug listened to Inspector Megure's Words from the other side and laughed arrogantly a few times, "Really? You're preparing to release the person? Then, tell the released Yajima Kunio to Call me here in one Hour. After I confirm he's safe, I'll release three passengers first... Listen up, you Police better not play any tricks on me!"
Cutting off Communication, the two thugs moved two Ski bags to the Aisle, carefully connecting the heads and tails of the Ski bags and placing them in a row.
Conan noticed the thugs' careful Movements, and looking at the two Ski bags lined up vertically, frowned, turned his Head to look at Akai Shuichi in the Back Seat wearing a Mask to cover his Face, quietly slipped into the gap between the Seats, and Reached Out to grab the Ski bag.
Could it be a Bomb?
He couldn't wait any longer... The other party had no Intention of properly releasing the passengers at all!
Since that was the case, then he would Intentionally lead the other party to tip off his accomplice, and let the Man in the Back Seat observe to see if this Man could discover anything.
Akai Shuichi understood the meaning of Conan's Glance at him, and had a bit of a headache. He really didn't want to attract attention, but since this little brother was taking risks, he had to be serious.
Difficult, he should have known not to join the group chat...
Conan lay on the Ground, and just as his Hand reached the edge of the Bag, he noticed a Black Shadow cast beside him.
"Kid..." The Red Hat thug stood in the Aisle next to Conan, squatted down, and pointed a Gun at Conan's Head, angrily saying, "It's you again! If you want to die, I'll grant your wish! Kid, stand up for me!"
"Ah!"
Ayumi and the three Children and Doctor Agasa's expressions changed drastically.
Chi Feichei raised his eyes and glanced at the thugs in front.
If the thugs dared to make a move, then he could only forcefully go 'musou' (unrivaled) and get through it.
Actually, this Matter, forcefully breaking the situation, is also possible.
He controls the White Hat thug in front, Conan takes down the Red Hat thug, and after he snatches the Gun from the White Hat thug's Hand, he directly points it at the three people in the Back Seat... Whoever moves, gets shot!
Afterwards, Conan goes to the Rear to Report to Police, and he controls the Situation until the Police arrive.
The only thing to consider is the Bomb...
Belmode was anxious in her heart, and not placing her hopes on others, she stepped past Jodie and stood between Conan and the thug, "Wait! This is just a Child's Prank! Moreover, your Request has already been permitted. Shooting passengers at this time would prevent your Plan from proceeding smoothly, wouldn't it?"
"What are you saying?" The Red Hat thug's Anger in his heart seemed to have increased even more, pointing the Gun at 'Shinde Tomoaki' disguised by Belmode, seemingly ready to shoot in the next second, "You pretty boy!"
Belmode still firmly stood in front of Conan.
If the other party dared to shoot, she wouldn't care whether she would be exposed or not, and would directly go 'musou'!
"Stop it!" The White Hat thug stepped forward and whispered to the Red Hat thug, "You have a lot of Anger today. What if you accidentally hit that thing..."
"Ah, sorry..." The Red Hat thug said in a low voice, no longer pursuing the matter, and turned to the Front of the bus.
"Hey, you guys hurry up and go back to your Seats and sit down properly!" The White Hat thug warned, and seeing the two, one big and one small, do as they were told, not knowing that he had unknowingly saved his companion from 'musou', he turned around and followed his companion.
Conan sat back in his Seat and then turned around to look at Akai Shuichi behind him again.
Akai Shuichi understood, and started coughing again, "Cough cough..."
He couldn't Performance too much, he should still just coast for now.
And with just this once, it's difficult to determine who the 'woodworm' is.
Interpretation: No one is speaking.
Conan lowered his Head and thought.
That Old Man in Black Clothes is wearing something like earphones. If he's transmitting messages by speaking through that, then the Man sitting next to him would definitely be able to hear the Sound.
No, it's still not certain. It might not necessarily require speaking, it could also be using String or some other Method. The Clues are still too few...
"Hey, Haibara," Conan whispered to Haibara Ai, "You also Help think of a Method..."
Haibara Ai remained stiff in her Seat, lowering her Head and not saying a word, shivering.
This bone-chilling feeling of oppression is the same as what she felt at the Memorial Service... That person is on this Bus!
Is he here to hunt her down? Or is it a coincidence?
But no matter what, if her Identity is exposed, and the other party knows she's a Traitor to the Organization, then the people here...
Haibara Ai quietly turned her Head to the side, her Line of Sight sweeping over Chi Feichei, Doctor Agasa, the three Children, and Conan.
All of them will be killed!
As soon as Conan saw Haibara Ai like this, he guessed that there was probably an Organization accomplice on this Bus. In his mind, he silently recalled the figures of Gin and Vodka again, his Expression gradually becoming serious, and he didn't ask any further.
Never Mind, it's enough that they're here, let Haibara quietly hang back for a while...
"Don't be too reckless, cool Kid!" Jodie turned around and leaned on the Chair Back, saying to Conan, and then looked at Haibara Ai next to Conan, wearing a Red Hat and shrinking while shivering, "Oh, don't be afraid, we'll be saved soon!"
Haibara Ai was still immersed in Fear, not saying a word.
"What's your Name? Little Red Hat sister." Jodie asked once, and seeing that Haibara Ai still didn't speak, she asked again in English.
"Conan, change Seats," Chi Feichei suddenly said.
(End of Chapter)