Though they came under the pretense of interest, it became obvious: all four visitors in the conference room were there for one thing—the Egg of Memory.
Even when art dealer Qian Jiangyi offered 800 million yen, Shiro Suzuki remained unmoved. With polite firmness, he asked the four to leave the office, promising to "discuss the matter later."
Once they were gone, and after Hayashi Yoshiki and his group took their seats, Suzuki Shiro ordered his secretary to bring out the Egg of Memory for everyone to admire.
The moment the case opened, it drew a collective breath.
It was—without question—a masterpiece.
"This egg is documented in the imperial archives. The name 'Egg of Memory' is actually an English translation from Russian."
"In Russian, it's Mospomenil—which means memory."
Suzuki Shiro pulled out a book as he explained.
Inside the egg, visible through the ornate crystal walls, was a miniature model of Emperor Nicholas II's family. The emperor appeared to be flipping through a book, with his wife and daughters smiling by his side.
"Why does reading a book represent 'memory'?" Conan asked curiously.
"Simpleton," Kogorō Mōri scoffed. "Gathering the kids to read together is obviously a treasured family memory!"
"Or maybe," Yoshiki offered with a smile, "he's flipping through a photo album."
He pointed to the glittering fragments embedded inside the shell.
"Are those gems?"
"Glass," Shiro replied.
"Eh? But this was a gift from the emperor to the queen, right? Shouldn't it be made of something more precious?"
"Well, when the 51st egg was made, Russia was already in a financial crisis. That might explain it."
Suzuki Shiro answered candidly.
"Stranger than that, though…" Hattori Heiji interjected, rubbing his chin, "...is Kaito Kid's notice. Something about a glowing sky loft? Why would Osaka Castle glow?"
Although the letter had been in their possession for days, parts of the riddle still eluded interpretation.
Kaito Kid's Preview Letter
[From the lion at dusk to the girl at dawn][The clock without a second-hand reaches the 12th word][Descend from the bright sky tower and collect the Egg of Memory]— The Magician Kaito Kid at the End of the World
Even Conan was deep in thought.
But out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Hayashi Yoshiki, who was—oddly enough—relaxed. He was admiring the egg with a serene smile and even asked permission to photograph it, as though the cipher meant nothing to him.
Moments later, Inspector Nakamori Ginzo and a senior Osaka police captain arrived.
Following some heated discussion, the group—misled by Kogorō's "deduction"—agreed that the "12th word" referred to the 12th letter of the alphabet, L, and deduced that Kaito Kid would strike at 3:00 a.m.
The "bright sky tower" was assumed to be Osaka Castle.
Conan resisted the urge to facepalm.
Then he turned to Hayashi Yoshiki, voice casual and innocent.
"Hey, Yoshiki-nii, you've cracked the code already, haven't you?"
Hattori Heiji paused, surprised.
You too? You're good at deciphering codes?
Conan's look back said: It's terrifying how fast he is.
"Hmm. I'd say... maybe 7:20 p.m."
"What?!"
"The twelfth 'word' in the sentence 'From the lion at dusk to the girl at dawn' isn't alphabetical. It's actually '乀', the shorthand for 7:20 on a clock face. And besides Osaka Castle, don't forget about Tsutenkaku Tower—its top dome is used to display the weather forecast."
"..."
"Of course," Yoshiki added calmly, "I could be wrong. But even if I am, the original 3:00 a.m. defense plan won't be affected."
The room fell silent as everyone gawked at him.
Nakamori, who had developed respect for Yoshiki since their previous collaboration on the Sally Beth, nodded with determination.
"Alright! I'll assign officers to defend Tsutenkaku at 7:20 sharp! We'll catch Kaito Kid this time!"
"Excellent, Mr. Lin! That's our secret weapon!"
Shiro Suzuki clapped with excitement.
Meanwhile, Conan and Hattori exchanged glances, both inwardly groaning at being upstaged.
Secret Strategy and a Familiar Voice
To avoid making the Egg of Memory a target on display, Nakamori suggested secretly relocating it. Shiro Suzuki approved, and the plan was handed to the police.
As Yoshiki and Heiji exited the president's office, the group chatted about sightseeing when Yoshiki's phone rang.
"One sec—just need to take this."
He slipped into the restroom and answered.
"Why do you always betray me?!"
The voice was unmistakable: Kuroba Kaito.
"Because," Yoshiki replied, "I was paid to."
"Tch."
After the magician gathering, Kaito had accepted that Hayashi Yoshiki would always crack his codes—but that didn't mean he'd stop trying.
"You figured out where I am?"
"Let's see…" Yoshiki glanced over his shoulder. "You just left President Suzuki's office, didn't you? Lucky you got out—Nakamori's about to start inspecting everyone's faces."
"..."
"No response?"
"...."
"You were holding the egg just now, weren't you? Doesn't it feel like a shame you won't get to keep it?"
He paused.
"You've never shown interest in non-jewelry items. And yet you called yourself the 'Magician of the End of the Century' in the letter... That suggests something more."
"Ugh! Keep talking and I'll get goosebumps!"
Click.
Kaito Kid hung up.
Yoshiki smiled and slipped his phone away.
That guy disguised himself as Suzuki Shiro's secretary, retrieved the Egg of Memory from the vault, and presented it himself.
That's how he had gotten the drop on everyone—just as he had in the original version of events.
When Yoshiki rejoined the others, Ran approached him excitedly.
"Brother Yoshiki! Heiji and Kazuha said they want to take us to a special temple to pray for blessings. Want to come?"
"Sure."
He smiled, nodding without hesitation.
After all, he had nothing pressing to do for the moment.
It was only then that he remembered—strangely enough—fortunes and omens in this world… always seemed to come true.