"So, does that mean they still can't confirm Haibara's identity?"
After listening to Senichi's speculation, although Conan felt there was no basis, but other than that, he couldn't think of how he noticed them, so he could only follow Senichi's speculation and deduce.
"After all, the idea of shrinking is too incredible. Under normal circumstances, it might not even be noticed." Senichi cleverly guided the topic in the direction he wanted with linguistic skill.
The smarter a person is, the more likely they are to notice the "trap" left in Senichi's words.
Sure enough, after hearing Senichi's words, Conan keenly noticed this point, "You said under normal circumstances? So, does that mean the current situation is not normal?"
"That's right. Normally, mere suspicion might not be enough to make him act."
Senichi looked meaningfully at Conan and directly blamed him, "But your performance is probably a big catalyst too."
"Me?" Conan's expression froze at the words.
"That's right. Your performance in many cases has probably attracted the attention of some people," Senichi reminded, "Those anomalies may not seem related at first glance, but if Haibara appears around you..."
"!!!"
As a detective, Conan naturally knew what this represented.
Perhaps individually, these suspicious points about the two of them aren't significant, but Conan and Haibara know each other, which inevitably leads to associations.
"But I've mostly relied on Uncle Mouri for cover, and during cases, they're all acquaintances, no strangers," Conan frowned, "So how did they notice me?"
"But don't forget, his identity is FBI," Senichi reminded from the side, "Remember where he comes from."
"!!"
Obviously, Senichi's words instantly reminded Conan, and he looked at Senichi with a shocked expression, somewhat incredulously, "Are you saying she..."
"Ah..." Senichi nodded, "Do you really think that just one person can easily investigate a criminal organization in a foreign country?
It's only right to have necessary helpers, isn't it?"
"What are you guys talking about?" Yukiko looked a bit displeased as she glanced at Conan. "Stop beating around the bush and just say it clearly!"
Upon hearing Yukiko's words and seeing Haibara and others around them watching, Conan slowly began to explain Jodie's situation to everyone.
Although he didn't think of it initially, with Senichi's prompting, Conan quickly recalled Jodie Starling, the English teacher at Ran's school.
Foreigner, beautiful, acting strange during previous encounters... These factors combined seemed to truly point to her identity issue.
More importantly, if he remembered correctly, she was also on the bus during the hijacking case!
Although I had initially considered it a coincidence, it might not be so now.
Could it be that the two of them had some plan that required them to meet, or was it a probing operation with one overt and one covert?
Thinking about this, Conan's thoughts were chaotic, feeling as though all the seemingly unrelated points before were now connected by an invisible web.
"So, you're saying it was exposed during our visit with Hattori last time..."
Conan rested his index finger on his chin and his gaze became slightly dark. "Although we did discover her abnormal behavior that time, we also 'startled the snake'..."
"No, I think they might have noticed you before that, whether or not that incident happened." Senichi said, "Regardless, they have noticed you now."
"Both Haibara and I have some aspects that are worth noting, so we attracted their attention, right?" Conan gained a deeper understanding of Shuichi Akai.
"It's fortunate that such a person is not an opponent but an ally." Conan felt somewhat relieved, then remembered something. "So, what about the old man who was kidnapped?"
"Probably their people too," Senichi nodded.
"What should we do now? Should we arrange to meet them and confront them?" Yukiko couldn't help but suggest upon hearing that the other party was an ally.
"No!" Haibara immediately vetoed it upon hearing this. "Our identities are strictly confidential right now. There's no need to let outsiders know who we are!"
When she mentioned "outsiders," Haibara deliberately emphasized her tone, implying something deeper.
"I also think it's unnecessary for now."
Senichi echoed, "Even if we trust him, he still has a massive organization behind him. He may trust his comrades, but we cannot trust them.
So, we should prioritize caution in everything. Even if we find an appropriate time to meet, it's best for me to remain hidden as a backup in the shadows for added security."
He didn't intend to expose himself among the Reds just like that. Although it's said that all members of the Black side are undercover, with only the industrious Gin carrying the main load, Senichi couldn't guarantee whether there were undercover agents from the Black side within the Reds.
Especially Shuichi Akai's superior, James Black, is full of suspicion and must be guarded against. For example, he has the same name as Sherlock Holmes's archenemy Moriarty, and his surname also happens to be English "Black".
Although these suspicions are baseless, and may even be misdirection in the manga, if you don't guard against them when they're in front of you, then you're the fool.
Better to be safe than sorry; this has always been Senichi's style.
At the same time, while clarifying the opponent's identity, he also stated his position.
That is, he can make contact with the opponent. After all, both sides have common enemies, but he won't appear openly as a covert insurance policy.
As for Senichi's decision, Conan quickly understood his intentions and nodded in agreement.
Moreover, in his view, Senichi, as a highly influential "renowned detective," could play a greater role as an "outsider" in their confrontation with the Black Organization.
After all, even the FBI can't openly act in Japan, so Senichi, as a public official figure, would have to consider both the Red and Black sides.
And as Senichi said, even though he might be trustworthy because of information about him from Akemi Miyano, those behind the organization might not be.
It's better to not give them the chance in the first place than to trust their secrecy.
Seeing that Conan understood his meaning, Senichi immediately turned to the side to look at Akemi Miyano. "I'm sorry to inconvenience you for now, Miss Miyano. It's not yet time to meet with him."
"It's okay. Knowing about him is enough," Akemi Miyano shook her head, then muttered softly, "Is he looking for me..."
Upon hearing her older sister's words, Haibara's face grew even darker while sitting next to Akemi.