"Officer, I just got home. Can I go in and change my clothes?" a mixed-race young man, also being questioned by the police, asked. He had dark skin and light blond hair, and seemed eager to leave.
Behind the mixed-race young man was a portly man with glasses, giving off a low-key and ordinary impression. But when Gao Mo looked at him, his heart inexplicably tightened, and his pupils dilated slightly.
That feeling of death again.
"What's wrong, Mr. Kido?" Megure asked, rousing Gao Mo from his thoughts.
"I'm sorry, Inspector Megure, I really don't have time. After that woman left last night, I went to sleep."
Gao Mo couldn't be bothered with feelings anymore. He'd been hungry all night; if he hurried to the supermarket, he might even be able to scrounge a meal.
Although the murder case had unnerved him, keeping his job was the most important thing right now.
The only unfortunate thing was probably that such a cute girl had died just like that.
As expected of the Conan world.
"I'm already in such a miserable state, I shouldn't have any enemies, right?" Gao Mo silently cautioned himself as he ran.
He didn't want to be reborn just to become a background victim in Conan.
He didn't recall any shady dealings in his memories; otherwise, he wouldn't have been driven to suicide.
...
International Supermarket.
Amidst gazes of schadenfreude, Gao Mo braced himself and clocked in. Fortunately, the manager was out on business, so he didn't get the expected tongue-lashing.
"Are you alright, Mr. Kido?"
A female colleague with a soft, sweet voice peeked into the break room, handing Gao Mo, who had just changed into his work uniform, a heated ready-to-eat meal.
"Here, I saved this for you. Everyone else picked over the rest... Don't tell the manager."
"Thank you."
Gao Mo had a decent impression of this female colleague. Rumor had it she was once his fan, though he wasn't sure if it was true.
The original him had believed it, so he'd just play along.
This idol-worthy face was somewhat useful after all.
"Hurry up, okay?" The female colleague winked her right eye, turned like a playful kitten, and returned to the checkout counter, causing several young male employees nearby to grit their teeth in jealousy.
There was a hint of killing intent, but not much.
Gao Mo quietly watched the female colleague's curvaceous back, taking a few extra glances above her head and the heads of the other employees.
He didn't see that faint glow, nor any strange text.
Could it be related to the murder scene?
He didn't know if the case had been solved. Tonight... if he had a chance tomorrow, he could check the situation again.
Gao Mo pondered as he tore open the meal packaging.
Perhaps because he was famished, the instant meal had never tasted so good.
A small sense of happiness.
One of the hidden perks of working at the supermarket was free meals—three a day—which saved a lot of expenses.
He worked from 9 AM to 10 PM, but it was an alternating day schedule: work one day, rest one day. The diligent ones in the store would find another job, and could earn quite a bit.
As for being mistreated... how could one not be mistreated when working?
Even if you were your own boss, you might still have to watch people's expressions.
This job was quite good for transitioning; the free time was entirely sufficient for him to plan his future.
Although this was the world of Conan, a world where detectives were active, being a detective wasn't the only way to make money.
Truth be told, only famous detectives made good money.
Ordinary detectives, especially newcomers working at detective agencies, had it tough and might not even earn as much as a supermarket cashier.
Given his current circumstances, returning to the entertainment industry was actually the best choice, but the phrase "hide yourself" from the notebook concerned him.
Before he understood the specific situation, it was better to maintain a low profile and the status quo.
Move behind the scenes?
He seemed to have a few friends in the entertainment industry, including the famous Okino Yoko from the Conan world—Mouri Kogoro's favorite female entertainer—who was considered his junior.
The original him couldn't bring himself to ask for help, but he didn't care about that. If he approached Okino Yoko, finding a way to make a living would definitely not be a problem.
Then he could spend more time embarking on a new career path.
Being a supermarket cashier wasn't a long-term solution.
...
Gao Mo finished his meal in no time. By the time he returned to the checkout counter, a long queue had already formed.
Compared to regular supermarkets, the goods at the international supermarket were expensive and not very practical, yet they were particularly popular in this area.
Besides foreigners, there were also quite a few local Japanese customers, and even some Chinese compatriots, international students, and a group of middle-aged women.
They conversed in their dialect without minding outsiders.
Gao Mo lowered his head and operated the machine.
He knew a little English and was fluent in Chinese, so communication was relatively smooth. However, his cashier operations were still clumsy and error-prone.
Normal checkouts were simple, but there were also various shopping cards, and one couldn't expect the operating system at this time to be very intelligent.
The most troublesome part was issuing receipts; he messed up several of them.
He didn't know if he would receive complaints afterward.
The cashier work kept him busy from morning till afternoon. He had a simple lunch in between. Gao Mo gradually became numb, not just because of the repetitive work, but mainly because his legs and feet were aching from standing.
To think he had to stand for over ten hours from morning till night; even with an alternating day schedule, it was unbearable.
Couldn't they have morning and afternoon shifts?
Gao Mo was starting to have issues with this job.
"What's wrong?" the female colleague asked with concern. "You don't look too good."
"It's nothing."
Gao Mo patted his sore calves.
He had just died and been resurrected last night; it was normal to feel a bit unaccustomed.
Take it slow.
Looking at the time, it was finally dinnertime. He could sit down and rest briefly while eating, but there would be even more customers in the evening, and it would be another battle.
No wonder the idol version of himself couldn't take it.
The disparity was too great.
"If there's anything, just tell me, okay?" the female colleague said with a gentle smile. "Don't worry too much about the manager; I'm here."
"Thank you, Little..."
What was the female colleague's name?
Gao Mo couldn't remember it for a moment and could only awkwardly continue rubbing his legs.
"You're welcome," the female colleague said, lowering her head shyly, her voice as soft as a mosquito's. "Actually, I've always felt that Mr. Kido and I are very similar. As long as you don't give up, Mr. Kido will definitely become a big star again in the future."
"Perhaps," Gao Mo had no intention of becoming a star.
Perhaps because of that notebook, he always felt that becoming famous would bring great trouble.
...
Ten o'clock that night.
Break room.
Gao Mo was so tired he didn't want to think about anything. The future... even the shocking murder case next door had become much hazier.
He had finally made it through the day.
He didn't know how the female colleague seemed completely fine.
She looked full of energy.
"Strange, why isn't the manager back yet? He loves to nitpick and scold people before getting off work."
"Who knows? It's good if he doesn't come back."
Amidst the employees' discussion, Gao Mo changed his clothes, checked his fully charged phone, and casually grabbed an unsold bento box.
One piece of good news was that his salary could be paid daily.
By the time Gao Mo left the supermarket for home, he had over 10,000 yen in his hand.
Hmm, an hourly wage of 1200 yen, which was considered relatively high. Normally, working 15 days a month, he could earn over 200,000 yen.
Sergeant Takagi Wataru, not considering benefits and bonuses, probably earned between 300,000 and 500,000 yen.
Rank-and-file police officers, ordinary patrolmen, likely earned between 200,000 and 300,000 yen.
Unfortunately, if the bald manager had been present, he would definitely have deducted this and that, and Gao Mo wouldn't have received his normal salary.
If there were a few complaints, he might even end up owing money.
Today was an exception.
Gao Mo felt a little fortunate.
Over 10,000 yen.
The convenience store downstairs from his apartment building offered 24-hour emergency bill payment, temporarily resolving the issue of no water and electricity.
The apartment management fees and taxes were paid annually, so that was still a while off.
If he was frugal, he could manage for a few days.
It wasn't easy.
Carrying the bento box and walking in the cold night wind, Gao Mo felt a little wistful.
He didn't know what economic stage Japan was in. With an endless stream of cases in the Conan world, it certainly couldn't be good...
Thinking of the unpleasant bald manager, Gao Mo felt a slight distress.
He still needed to find a way out as soon as possible; otherwise, it would be troublesome if he was suddenly fired.
...
Room 1604.
Gao Mo took out his key to open the door. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, his heart suddenly jolted again. The terrifying, near-death sensation of drowning flashed like a warning.
Again?
Hearing the faint sound of breathing coming from inside the door, Gao Mo's eyes widened as he slowly released the doorknob.
Since his death and resurrection yesterday, how many times had this happened?
He hadn't offended anyone; couldn't he just live peacefully?
"Damn it, I think I forgot something outside..."
Gao Mo said as he carefully backed away.
He didn't dare gamble on someone else coming to help.
It was too late; even if someone did help, it would probably be too late.
No matter who was inside, the best choice was to leave first and leave matters to the police.
Clack!
The assailant inside seemed to have noticed something. His breathing suddenly quickened as he abruptly pulled the door open. Gao Mo narrowly dodged the black shadow of a baseball bat.
In the dim light, both their minds went blank.
Run!
Gao Mo's feet slipped. Seeing the panic and ruthlessness in the assailant's eyes, he disregarded everything else, supported himself against the wall, and dashed towards the stairwell like a rabbit.
It was actually the portly man with glasses from earlier in the day.
What a psycho! He had only glanced at him; how did he provoke this guy?
This guy was... the murderer?
Indeed, some murderers liked to return to the scene of the crime, especially in the Conan world, where most murderers were at the scene.
Gao Mo silently cursed his luck.
He hadn't even gotten close, yet the case had come looking for him.
Was there something wrong with that fatso's brain?
Just one look...
Huff, huff!
The fat man failed to catch the agile Gao Mo. His expression became even more panicked. After tentatively swinging the baseball bat, his body lunged forward like a meatball, and he and the dodging Gao Mo tumbled together towards the edge of the emergency exit.
"Murder..."
"Ah!"
His head slammed against the railing, making Gao Mo dizzy. Before he could recover, the frenzied fat man was choking him tightly by the neck.
It seemed the fat man was afraid he would continue to scream for help. His entire face contorted, and he unleashed an inhumanly fierce strength.
The intense feeling of suffocation brought Gao Mo back to a near-death state once more.
It was as if an invisible, icy gaze was hidden in the darkness, the scythe of death raised high.
Damn fatso...