This incident had finally come to an end.
Gilamba—that is, Aron Smithy's plane—ultimately plunged into the sea along with the Vespania ore.
Thanks to the EMP effect of the Cherry Sapphire, which disabled the attacking fighter jets, Conan and Lupin III managed to escape the doomed plane with the unconscious Aron Smithy and his men, using parachutes. They were finally rescued by a submarine that Fujiko Mine had prepared.
"What a headache..."
Standing on the submarine's surface, Hayashi Yoshiki smiled as he looked out over the vast ocean.
Gilamba's plane had glided into the sea—far off in the distance. From here, all that was visible was the endless expanse of water.
"Such a shame. The ore's gone, and now no one gets anything," Lupin III said, grinning smugly while carrying the unconscious Aron Smithy.
"That might actually be the best outcome."
"Oh?"
"When I said 'headache', I meant about my car," Hayashi Yoshiki chuckled. "It's totaled. Guess I'll need to figure out what to buy next."
He didn't seem to care at all.
Ai Haibara stared at him expressionlessly, watching him cheerfully debate what kind of car to get next.
Hayashi Yoshiki then turned to her and asked:
"What do you think, Ai?"
The usual gentle smile.
Clear, composed—his face never held confusion, always radiating calm certainty.
No matter the situation, he always gave that impression.
Ai Haibara was never a shallow girl, but she couldn't deny that his smile was... captivating.
Still, in that moment, seeing that same smile reminded her of the other side of him she had just witnessed.
"How should I know?"
She turned away, as if pouting.
Hayashi Yoshiki looked a bit surprised.
Fujiko Mine chuckled beside them.
Then Hayashi turned to her.
"Care to tell me what you're laughing about, Miss Mine?"
"Hehe~ If you want intel from me, you'll have to pay for it."
"Funny. I have the feeling you're the one who caused me all this trouble."
"Not my fault~" Fujiko said with her hands clasped in mock innocence.
She then leaned over, placing her hands on Ai Haibara's small shoulders, whispering to her—asking whether she'd keep her promise and share the secrets of that drug.
But Haibara pushed her hands away.
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"
"What is what supposed to mean?"
"Don't tell me you're backing out on the deal?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Huh?"
"Wasn't it you who said 'betrayal is a woman's accessory'?"
Ai Haibara turned back to Fujiko with a sharp smile.
Fujiko Mine immediately fumed in frustration.
Conan, meanwhile, turned to Hayashi Yoshiki:
"So... you didn't actually want the ore to fall into government hands, did you, Yoshiki-nii?"
"The Vespania ore's power is too dangerous," Hayashi Yoshiki replied calmly. "The best outcome is for it to disappear forever, and for no one to even know it exists."
"But weren't you the one who brought the Public Security Bureau into this in the first place?" Daisuke Jigen commented.
"I'm guessing that was a safeguard—in case the ore was taken," Conan said, arms behind his head.
Hayashi neither confirmed nor denied it.
He left that part to Conan's imagination.
All it took was a gas mask. That one move not only confirmed Hayashi Yoshiki's identity as part of the Red Team to Conan and his allies—it likely gave Toru Amuro peace of mind too.
And, most importantly, it probably tricked even Lupin III, the one who knew him best.
That crew—chaotic and unpredictable as they were—could still be considered righteous in a roundabout way. But ignore them too long, and they might explode like a landmine.
For now, though, that problem was solved.
Hayashi Yoshiki, as if refusing to linger on the topic, changed the subject:
"So, when are you all heading back?"
"There's less than half an hour until the concert ends. Oh, by the way—Miss Fujiko Mine."
"Yes?"
"I'd like to propose a deal. If you have a moment later, we can talk details."
"A deal? Sounds fun."
Fujiko Mine smiled mischievously.
"Hey hey, Fujiko! Don't let another man cheat you!" Lupin shouted.
"Shut it, Lupin! Don't bring that up again!"
"Learned your lesson yet?"
"You're insufferable."
Splash!
Fujiko Mine kicked Lupin III straight into the ocean.
Unbothered by the splash and flailing sounds, Ai Haibara kept her eyes on Hayashi Yoshiki.
He noticed, but didn't say anything.
The submarine began its return.
Once they reached a secluded spot near Haneda Airport, the group disembarked.
By then, Jodie and her FBI colleagues—lacking arrest authority—had already left, leaving the cleanup to officers like Miwako Sato who had received a tip-off.
"Alright, handsome. So, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Seizing a moment while no one was paying attention, Fujiko Mine asked Hayashi Yoshiki as they stepped onto land.
She wanted to hear the deal before deciding how invested she should be.
"Just to be sure—you didn't kidnap Ai, did you? All for APTX4869?"
"Hmm~"
Was her intent that obvious? Or was this man just that sharp?
Seeing Hayashi Yoshiki's calm demeanor, Fujiko figured he already knew her answer.
"I have a small amount of the drug."
"...Seriously?" Fujiko's smile faded slightly.
"Yes. It's the same one the others use. But it's unstable. Very high fatality rate. Are you still interested?"
"You really need to ask?"
Fujiko didn't care.
She had enough influence to borrow fighter jets and submarines—funding some reverse engineering research would be no problem.
If Hayashi Yoshiki was telling the truth, she could reverse-engineer APTX4869 from that.
"So what do you want?"
"I want you to investigate someone for me—Rum."
"So it's intel you're after, huh? Alright... But how do I know your sample's the real deal?"
"Give me a little time."
Hearing that, Fujiko's eyes drifted between Hayashi Yoshiki and Ai Haibara, who was walking slightly ahead.
She soon flashed a radiant smile.
"You've probably figured it out already, but just a friendly warning—Sherry knows about you now. And she's not happy."
"This is all your fault. And you still have the nerve to talk..."