"Conan-kun looks like he's in so much pain."
Watching Conan Edogawa clutching his head and weeping on the screen, Megumi Kato remarked with her usual gentle expression:
"Even though Director's tone was clearly just joking."
"Young lady, you might not understand this, but sometimes jokes can contain the most painful truths."
Yukiko Kudo sighed softly.
She patted Megumi's shoulder, then looked up at the screen showing Conan's anguished crying, her face tinged with nostalgia as she explained:
"It probably started around first grade."
"Shinichi always seemed to encounter various cases around him."
"At first, since it wasn't frequent - maybe once a year - Yusaku and I didn't pay it much mind."
"But after fourth grade, the cases started occurring more often. By sixth grade, it was almost every two months."
"And in middle school, it became nearly once a month."
"Initially, we joked that it was because of Yusaku's love for detective games rubbing off on him... until that time we went to America, and Shinichi still maintained the same frequency of encountering cases."
"That's when we realised it wasn't us attracting the cases - it was Shinichi himself."
"As if summoned, he'd appear near every crime scene, whether by chance or invitation, becoming an eyewitness to each incident."
Yukiko smiled self-deprecatingly:
"Honestly, we've joked before that this child might be the reincarnation of the god of death."
"Sometimes we even wondered if those people died because of Shinichi's presence."
"Such thoughts did cross our minds, but more than that, we worried about Shinichi's mental wellbeing."
"'A detective always attracts cases' - Yusaku kept using this phrase to comfort Shinichi, to ease his guilt."
Yukiko glanced at the silent Yusaku Kudo before showing a helpless smile:
"But now it seems Shinichi has reached the point where he must face the truth."
"So Kudo Shinichi collapsed because upon reflection, his experiences matched exactly what Director described?"
Yukino Yukinoshita spoke with evident surprise.
On one hand, she was shocked by Conan's 'god of death' constitution. On the other, she marvelled that this trait had manifested even before the Calamity Jade Seal's possession.
Could it be that Conan's inherent death-attracting nature was what drew the Calamity Jade Seal to him?
If so, the situation had become rather delicate.
Due to Luo Shu's remark - whether intentional or not - the Kudos seemed to have finally overcome their hesitation and revealed the truth about the frequent cases to their son.
The result was Conan's mental breakdown.
From being the 'nemesis of criminals' who solved mysteries and brought perpetrators to justice, to becoming the 'god of death' who brought calamity and tragedy to the world.
This stark contrast in identities, this complete reversal of self-perception, was why Conan couldn't accept reality.
Now he must be drowning in overwhelming guilt - the kind that comes from knowing 'though the Buddha kills no one, the Buddha's followers die because of him.'
"Though somewhat excessive, this child should now willingly cooperate with scientific research."
Yusaku Kudo turned his gaze towards Luo Shu and quietly explained:
"After all, only within this facility can the calamitous power within this child be properly contained."
"Will this child truly behave?" Yukiko Kudo asked worriedly.
Her memories of Conan's mischievous childhood left her with deep impressions.
Thus, she remained uncertain whether Conan would accept reality peacefully.
"If it were his past self, certainly not. But now, it's possible."
Yusaku sighed and glanced at the now silent Conan on the monitor screen:
"After all, Shinichi... you wouldn't want more people to die accidentally because of the calamitous power within you, would you?"
'What the hell? Why does this sound so stereotypically Japanese?'
'Oh, right, Yusaku Kudo is Japanese... that explains it...' Luo Shu mentally complained before saying aloud:
"If the child remains cooperative, that would naturally be for the best."
"After all, we wouldn't want a colleague's child facing difficulties within our own department."
Hearing this, Yusaku smiled at Luo Shu: "With your assurance, I feel somewhat more at ease."
Meanwhile, Yukiko fretted: "This child... he won't be subjected to any life-threatening experiments, will he?"
"Please rest assured, madam. From the perspective of managing dangerous Abyss Artefacts, our department prioritises human safety above all else."
Luo Shu smiled reassuringly at Yukiko Kudo, speaking nothing but the truth.
After all, before extracting the Calamity Jade Seal, Luo Shu was indeed the person most invested in keeping Conan alive.
Hearing this, Yukiko could only choose to believe him: "In that case, we entrust this child to your care."
"Yusaku and I have pressing matters and can't always be by his side, so please look after him."
'Look after?'
Luo Shu's expression turned slightly subtle: "Don't worry, we'll certainly do our utmost."
"At the very minimum, we'll guarantee Conan-kun's survival."
Hearing Luo Shu's words, neither Yukiko nor even the perceptive Yusaku detected the hidden meaning behind his phrasing.
After repeated thanks, Luo Shu and Yukino Yukinoshita, accompanied by Megumi Kato, saw the Kudo couple off.
At that moment, custodianship of Conan was officially transferred to the Hidden Management Department.
Luo Shu glanced at Conan sitting silently on the metal platform but said nothing, instead turning to Verde:
"Now that the Kudos have consented, prepare the necessary research procedures."
"I hope to hear good news from you soon."
Verde sneered and adjusted his glasses: "Obviously. I intend to study him thoroughly."
"After all, this is an exceptionally rare specimen - a special individual parasitised by a Demigod Rank Abyss Artefact yet remaining unharmed! Not researching this would be a criminal waste of a miracle!!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu smiled and nodded towards Yukino Yukinoshita and Megumi Kato before the three of them walked out of the research lab into the corridor.
At that moment, Luo Shu, who was walking at the front, let out a light sigh and said:
"The simple matters have been dealt with. Now comes the troublesome part."
After saying this, Luo Shu fell silent for a moment:
"I hope Sayuri and Eriri can accept this reality."