Detective Conan: Shadow Legion Office

84: Chapter 84 The Island Nation’s Public Security Officers Take the BlameNight fell like a heavy black curtain, slowly covering the scarred Tokyo.

Bloodstains on the streets were masked by the night, with only sporadic streetlights emitting a pale, sickly light, illuminating the tracks left by the US military trucks.

Trucks loaded with protesting civilians were driving toward the ”educational base” in the suburbs; the muffled crying from inside the cargo holds, intertwined with the roar of the engines, sounded like a desperate nocturne.

On a quiet suburban road, the last US military truck was moving slowly.

The driver yawned, clearly still caught up in the ”victory” of the day—today’s suppression operation had ”remarkable results,” and General White had already praised them several times over the communication system.

He didn’t notice at all that in the shadows at the corner of the road, more than a dozen figures wearing black masks were quietly lurking.

”Get ready.”

Kazami Yuya lowered his voice and spoke into his headset. He stood in the deepest part of the shadows, gripping a steel pipe tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the force.

This was the plan devised by Amuro Tooru—to ”attack” the US military trucks transporting civilians under the cover of night. There were two goals:

First, to rescue the detained civilians; second, to teach the arrogant US military a lesson, letting them know that the people of the island country were not sheep to be slaughtered at will.

To avoid triggering a larger conflict, Amuro Tooru emphasized: use only clubs, no guns, and absolutely no lethal force; withdraw immediately after succeeding.

Although Kazami Yuya felt the plan was too risky, seeing the images of the US military’s violence during the day, he eventually gritted his teeth and agreed.

He selected twenty of the most elite Public Security Officers, changed into black clothes, put on masks, and laid an ambush on this road that the US military trucks had to pass.

The truck gradually approached the corner and slowed down.

”Move!” Kazami Yuya gave the order.

Molotov cocktails, prepared in advance, were thrown fiercely, tracing arcs through the air and landing precisely on the truck’s hood and windshield.

”Boom!”

Flames erupted instantly, engulfing the entire front of the vehicle. The driver screamed as he rolled out of the cab, his clothes already on fire, writhing in pain on the ground.

”Get out! Everyone get out!”

A dozen ”men in black” swarmed up, brandishing steel and iron pipes, shouting at the US soldiers in the truck’s cargo hold. The soldiers in the hold clearly hadn’t expected an attack; in their panic, they tried to draw their guns but were struck hard on the hands by steel pipes reaching in from outside.

”Bang! Bang!”

With a few dull thuds, the pistols of several soldiers dropped into the cargo hold.

The ”men in black” seized the opportunity to open the truck doors, dragging the soldiers out one by one, and the steel pipes landed mercilessly on their backs and legs.

”How dare you hit people! How dare you be so arrogant!”

A young Public Security Officer, clearly still fueled by the day’s anger, struck with extra force, and one soldier curled up on the ground, screaming in agony.

”Stop hitting them! Save the people first!”

Kazami Yuya shouted, directing the officers to open the rear door of the truck and help the civilians inside down. ”Quick! Come with us!”

The detained civilians were shocked and overjoyed; ignoring their injuries, they followed the ”men in black” and ran toward the woods by the side of the road.

They didn’t know the identities of these people, but being able to escape from the hands of the US military was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

Just then—

”Bang! Bang! Bang!!!”

Several crisp gunshots suddenly shattered the night sky, sounding particularly jarring on the silent road.

Kazami Yuya stiffened and whipped his head around.

He saw five or six US soldiers who had just been dragged off the truck lying on the ground, blood bubbling from their chests, their eyes wide open, clearly having lost their lives.

”Who fired those shots?!”

Kazami Yuya’s voice trembled with fear; he almost ripped the mask off his face in his agitation, though his complexion underneath was already as pale as paper.

The nearby Public Security Officers were also stunned and shook their heads one after another: ”It wasn’t us! We didn’t bring any guns!”

”Impossible! Only we are here!”

Kazami Yuya roared, his heart pounding uncontrollably. He clearly remembered that before they set off, Amuro Tooru had repeatedly emphasized that no one was allowed to carry guns, precisely to avoid accidents.

But now, the US soldiers had been shot dead, and five or six of them had died! If this were investigated, the consequences would be unimaginable!

”It really wasn’t us!”

One officer was so anxious he was about to cry, ”Officer Kazami, look at us, we don’t have any guns at all!”

Kazami Yuya scanned the officers, and sure enough, none of them were carrying firearms.

A cold sweat instantly soaked his back—if they weren’t the ones who fired, then who was?

...

In a hidden command vehicle not far away, Amuro Tooru was monitoring the scene through footage transmitted by a drone.

When the gunshots rang out and he saw the US soldiers lying on the ground, his pupils contracted sharply.

”Kazami! What’s going on?!” Amuro Tooru grabbed the radio, his voice urgent, ”Why were there gunshots?!”

”I don’t know! Mr. Amuro, it wasn’t us! It really wasn’t us!”

Kazami Yuya’s voice carried a sob, ”Someone is shooting from the shadows! Someone is trying to frame us!”

Amuro Tooru stared intently at the screen. In the footage, the Public Security Officers were checking the bodies in a panic, while in the shadows by the road, a few blurred figures flashed past and disappeared into the night.

”Someone is fishing in troubled waters.”

Amuro Tooru’s voice turned icy instantly.

He understood in an instant—this was a trap, a trap laid out long ago. Someone had used their operation to intentionally shoot and kill the US soldiers, framing the Public Security Officers and completely intensifying the situation.

”Mr. Amuro, what do we do now?!” Kazami Yuya’s voice was filled with despair.

Amuro Tooru took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down:

”Forget about the bodies! Take the officers and the civilians and retreat immediately! Quick! It’ll be too late!”

”But...”

”No buts!”

Amuro Tooru interrupted him sternly, ”Now is not the time to hesitate! If you don’t leave now, once the US military reinforcements arrive, none of you will be able to escape!”

Kazami Yuya gritted his teeth, knowing Amuro Tooru was right.

He took one last look at the bodies on the ground, his eyes filled with fear and helplessness, and turned to shout at his officers: ”Retreat! Retreat quickly!”

The Public Security Officers dared not delay any longer; taking the remaining civilians, they rushed into the woods without looking back and soon disappeared into the night.

Only the burning truck, the US military corpses on the ground, and a few soldiers who had luckily survived and were wailing in pain remained on the road.

In the command vehicle, Amuro Tooru watched the footage on the screen, slowly closed his eyes, and rubbed his tense brow.

”We’re in trouble.”

He murmured, his tone filled with exhaustion and helplessness.

He knew that this matter would never end here. US soldiers had been shot dead, and they died during an ”attack” planned by the Public Security Officers; regardless of the truth, the US side would conclude that the island country did it.

By then, let alone easing the situation, perhaps even a war could break out.

And the culprit behind all this, Lin Long, was likely somewhere right now, watching all of this and smiling triumphantly.

...

In the surveillance room of the Lin Family Manor, Lin Long watched the chaotic scene on the screen and listened to Kazami Yuya’s panicked voice over the radio, a satisfied smile curling the corners of his mouth.

”Well done,” he said to the ghost beside him.

The ones who fired the shots just now were the death squads led by the ghost.

They had laid an ambush in the shadows by the road beforehand, and after the Public Security Officers made their move, they took advantage of the chaos to shoot and kill several US soldiers, then withdrew rapidly, perfectly pinning the blame on Kazami Yuya and the Public Security Officers.

”Next, just wait and watch the show,” Lin Long picked up his wine glass and swirled it gently.

The US military would be furious at having their soldiers shot; the Public Security Officers would be framed and unable to defend themselves; facing pressure from the US, the cabinet would have to compromise again, perhaps even sacrificing the Public Security Officers to appease the anger.

And what about the public? They would think the government and the US military were colluding to suppress protesters, and their anger would only rise higher.

One link after another, dragging everyone deeper into the quagmire.

”BOSS, General White has received the news and is mobilizing troops to seal off the scene, and has requested support from the Okinawa base,” the ghost reported.

”As expected.”

Lin Long smiled, ”Tell our people to lie low for now and not take any action. Next, just let the US military and the island country’s government ’play’ by themselves.”

”Yes.”

Lin Long put down his wine glass and walked to the window, looking at the pitch-black night sky outside.

The Tokyo night was heavier than ever before, as if foreshadowing a greater storm to come.

He could imagine that the White House and the cabinet of the island country must be in total chaos right now.

And Amuro Tooru and Kazami Yuya were probably racking their brains trying to figure out how to distance themselves from this.

”This commotion is getting bigger and bigger, huh? It’s getting more and more interesting.”

Lin Long said softly, excitement flashing in his eyes.

The gunshots had already rung out, the blood had already been spilled, and the seeds of hatred had been sown. Next, it would only take a little breeze for these seeds to take root and sprout, growing into a towering tree capable of destroying everything.

And he was the one fanning the flames.

The night in Tokyo remained long. And those US military corpses on the road were just the prologue to this greater storm.