Chapter 24: The Television Station’s Location Crew

Beika Town, 3rd Block.

Beika Shrine.

Gao Mo arrived earlier than the agreed-upon time and found that the shrine was pitifully unpopular, cold, and desolate; one could barely see a soul even on weekends.

Perhaps this was why the television station chose this location for their outdoor shoot—Yoko's current fanbase was simply too fanatical. He just wondered if the show's popularity would increase once it aired.

"Honestly, Dad, if you have a cold, can't you just stay home and rest?"

A complaining voice from Ran suddenly drifted from the intersection, followed quickly by the little mustache's voice carried on the wind: "What does a little cold matter when I can see Miss Yoko perform live? As long as Yoko is there, all my illnesses are cured!"

Gao Mo looked back and, sure enough, saw Kogoro Mouri looking sickly yet spirited, a bundle of utter contradictions.

"Mr. Kido?" Ran spotted Gao Mo as well and hurriedly waved excitedly. "Are you making a comeback this time?"

"No." Gao Mo shook his head.

"And what is Uncle doing here..."

"Dad got caught in the rain a few days ago and caught a cold as soon as he got home; it still hasn't fully cleared up," Ran pouted. "Conan and I would have been fine on our own, but he insisted on dragging himself out of bed."

"Caught in the rain?"

"What an insensitive daughter. I'm here for work, you know—a 300,000 yen consulting fee!" The mustache snorted, his face beaming as if he had won the lottery when he turned to Gao Mo.

Before this, the easiest money he had earned was the Red Demon Village case preceding the Hatamoto incident, where he was hired by the culprit to tail a target for three days and made 500,000 yen. He never expected to be making 300,000 yen a day now.

"You're a real friend, kid Kido. Not only did you bring us along, but you also landed me a big job. I get to see Yoko and make money; there's no better gig than this!"

"Heh!"

Gao Mo didn't want to deal with the mustache. If it weren't for this guy letting something slip at the press conference, the pseudonym "Kindaichi" wouldn't have attracted any attention at all. It was fine for now, but it was still a potential hazard. With his memories of the entertainment industry, he knew all too well how shameless those reporters were—the more you hid something, the more they wanted to dig it up. He would just have to keep an even lower profile and wait for the heat to die down.

"Brother Kido." Conan, being led by the hand by Ran, greeted him with the cuteness of a well-behaved child.

Actually, he had been on edge these past few days, not knowing what Gao Mo's true purpose was, and had woken up from nightmares several nights in a row. He was terrified that the Black Organization would suddenly storm in... but so far, there had been no movement. It seemed Gao Mo really had just been giving him a simple warning.

"Let's go, Conan," Ran tugged at him. "I still need to get autographs for Sonoko and the others."

"Okay."

Conan retracted his thoughts, his gaze toward Gao Mo filled only with curiosity. He felt that Gao Mo seemed very afraid of attracting outside attention; despite being a has-been idol, he showed absolutely no desire to make a comeback. It was as if he had anticipated all of this before becoming a butler at the Hatamoto estate and had specifically chosen a fake name.

Kindaichi... Kindaichi Kosuke?

Conan's expression was subtle as he recalled the day he chose his own name after shrinking. At the time, he had been backed against a pile of mystery novels. His name was hastily cobbled together from the mystery novelist "Edogawa Ranpo" and his most admired author of *Sherlock Holmes*, "Conan Doyle," combining into "Edogawa Conan." He had considered "Kindaichi Kosuke" too...

A flurry of guesses surged through Conan's mind. So, was Gao Mo also a detective in secret, needing to hide his identity just like him in the face of the Black Organization's threat? That would certainly make sense. He would keep observing; if possible, he might be able to have a serious talk with him.

Conan's gaze became grave. He hadn't spent these days at the Mouri Detective Agency without gaining anything; at the very least, he now knew that the man in black who had force-fed him the drug that shrank him belonged to a criminal organization, one that seemed to possess immense power and thought nothing of killing to silence people.

...

"Caw—!"

A few crows flapped past. Gao Mo paid no attention to Conan; his gaze was entirely fixed on Beika Shrine by the roadside.

Up the blue stone steps, a red torii gate served as the entrance. Further up, stone lion-dogs stood on both sides as if ready to pounce, and behind them lay the traditional wooden shrine. Many cherry blossom trees were planted in the vicinity, creating a quiet and peaceful atmosphere.

However, under the annoying cawing of the crows at this moment, the entire shrine suddenly took on an eerie, terrifying quality. The sound of the wind whistling overhead made goosebumps rise on Gao Mo's neck, and even the leaves blown to his feet seemed to hide something.

"Hurry up, kid Kido, why did you stop?" the mustache urged. "It looks like everyone from the crew is already here."

"Phew!"

Gao Mo stood in front of the torii gate for a moment. When he turned his head, the mustache was already trotting happily toward Yoko Okino, fawning over her as he introduced himself—this was the first time the two had met in private.

In the past, the mustache never would have had such an opportunity. Now, not only could he interact with Yoko, but even the surrounding crew, including the director, were flattering him. Before long, they were even calling him "Teacher Mouri."

No one noticed the shift in atmosphere...

"What's wrong, Brother Kido?" Conan's sharp eyes caught the subtle change in Gao Mo's expression.

For an idol with a poker face to show such a nuanced expression, something serious must have happened. Yet, after looking around, he saw nothing unusual. A few falling leaves stirred by the wind, a few crows... what could be the problem?

"Nothing." Gao Mo withdrew his gaze.

It felt like he was back in the situation with Yoko's ex-boyfriend. He knew it—how could the Mouri family ever show up anywhere without something happening? Would this show end up being scrapped because of an incident? There were simply too many projects that had withered away because of such events... though that had nothing to do with him, a man only interested in making money.

Gao Mo turned his gaze toward the crew. If it was Beika Shrine... which case was this?

"You must be Mr. Kido, right?"

Unlike the bustle around the mustache, only a short-haired woman wearing glasses came over to greet Gao Mo. "I'm Myoko Mayugaki, the makeup artist for the location crew. The director said we're shooting some outdoor scenes in advance, so let me get your makeup done."

"All right."

Gao Mo followed Myoko Mayugaki to a small pavilion beside the shrine filled with portable cases, where some lighting technicians were organizing their equipment, piles of bags everywhere.

"Please wait a moment."

Myoko Mayugaki took a prop beard out of her makeup kit and grabbed a hat as well. She used a wet wipe to clean Gao Mo's face, and upon noticing how unnaturally pale he was, she hurriedly applied powder to darken it.

"I don't really understand, Mr. Kido, why would you want to play a role like this?" Myoko asked, puzzled. "You don't even show your face, and you're a murderer... If it were you, a small supporting role would be no problem. I think you're even better suited to play a handsome lead than Mr. Nachi, the second male lead."

Being a has-been was relative; given Gao Mo's former fame and his connection to Yoko Okino, he couldn't play the protagonist, but a third-tier role would be effortless. The TV station surely wouldn't mind rehashing a bit of old fame. That would at least offer some chance of a comeback. He couldn't possibly be doing this purely for a meager fee just to satisfy his acting itch, could he?

"Mayugaki, what are you saying?" A slightly flashy young man with a pretty face, who had originally intended to hit on Ran, glanced at Gao Mo with disdain upon hearing this. "A has-been old timer, he should be grateful just to have a role. Does he really think he can make a comeback?"

"M-Mr. Nachi..."

"Hmph, I have a scene with this guy in a bit. What bad luck." The flashy youth smoothed his hair, like a proud rooster, and after teasing Gao Mo, he turned to Ran with a smile. "Beautiful young lady, are you free this evening? How about joining me for a meal?"

"Huh?" Ran was startled. "I'd rather not..."

"What's the harm? It's just a meal."

"Ran is a minor," Gao Mo interjected, eyeing the flashy youth sideways. "If any rumors were to start, I'm afraid you'd be more than just a has-been."

"You..."

The flashy youth gritted his teeth and glared at Gao Mo, but he didn't approach Ran again. "Tch, regardless, I'm at the peak of my popularity right now; I don't need a guy like you who can only play bit parts to remind me."

"I never thought the handsome idol Shingo Nachi was this kind of person."

Ran watched the flashy youth walk away in disappointment, her interest in getting an autograph fading significantly.

"Thank you, Mr. Kido."

Conan, standing nearby, didn't speak, but he looked at Gao Mo with a more amicable gaze.

"Don't mention it," Gao Mo said, sitting back down to let Myoko Mayugaki finish his makeup. "Idols are naturally people with a polished exterior. Even Miss Yoko has her true self; it's perfectly normal for a few scumbags to turn up."