Chapter 191: Boiling the Frog in Warm Water

Vermouth was very surprised by what Kunio Koizumi said on the other end of the phone.

She originally thought that Kunio Koizumi called just to ask Masumi Sera about the situation.

However, he did not expect that when Kunio Koizumi first noticed the detective Masumi Sera, he had already planned to trick her into handing over the case to him.

Compared to Vermouth's initial judgment that Kunio Koizumi would only agree to everything for the sake of his family,

Now, Kunio Koizumi's behavior made Vermouth look at him with a higher regard.

As for Conan, besides Sera Masumi, he obviously also knew about the software commission between them. However, Vermouth did not think that Kunio Koizumi was lying.

After all, people who don't know Conan's background generally won't care about Conan, a primary school student.

Regardless of whether Kunio Koizumi's words at this moment were sincere, or whether he only came up with this excuse after determining that Shinjun Izumi's plan had failed.

The fact that he could make such a judgment showed that he was not just a fool.

"Your words make me think more highly of you."

"But, sorry, I don't think you have any basis to prove that what you said is true."

"Besides, you are the one who broke the agreement first, so you have no right to bargain with me."

After Vermouth finished speaking, Kunio Koizumi on the other end of the line fell silent.

She knew what Kunio Koizumi was thinking.

After risking everything to tell the truth but failing to get the desired result, there was only one thing left for Kunio Koizumi to do -

Escape with your family.

"Don't think that we won't be able to find you if you escape first. As long as you are still alive and still on this earth, we will have a way to find you."

After Vermouth finished speaking, Chianti added:

"Even if you have been on the run for more than ten years, we can still find you."

As soon as Chianti finished speaking, he noticed that Vermouth glanced at him coldly.

She acted as if nothing had happened and didn't care about what she had just said.

"Aren't you afraid that I will make the transaction public?"

Kunio Koizumi asked on the other end of the phone.

"If you want to make it public, go ahead."

Vermouth was not worried at all about this.

After all, when she contacted Kunio Koizumi, it was a unilateral contact.

And the other party doesn't know any identity information about me.

So even if Kunio Koizumi called the police, she wouldn't worry at all.

After Vermouth said this, the other end of the phone fell silent again.

"It seems like you don't have anything else to say."

Vermouth said this and hung up the phone.

Then he turned and looked at Sera Masumi.

"I have news for you. Just now, Kunio Koizumi said that he wanted you to help him just to replace him in handing over to me."

"He was worried that I would kill him after the handover, so he asked you to bear the consequences for him."

Vermouth smiled at Sera Masumi.

"Huh?"

The pale-faced Sera Masumi also looked surprised after hearing this.

But what surprised her was not what Vermouth had just said.

Instead, he was surprised that Conan took the risk to call her, as if he was just pretending to be Kunio Koizumi and pleading with Vermouth.

Obviously, Conan's phone call did not achieve any effect.

Even Masumi Sera didn't quite understand why Conan called her.

"Even if you are a kid, you are a little helpless in this situation, right?"

"But that's true. After all, from Kunio Koizumi's perspective, he doesn't know the identities of Vermouth and the others."

"So he has no bargaining chips with Vermouth."

"Sure enough, I should end my life early to avoid causing him more trouble. Eh?"

Just when Masumi Sera had completely given up in his heart and was about to take out a dagger to commit suicide.

She suddenly realized that she had no strength left in her hand that was holding the dagger.

At the same time, Sera Masumi also felt that his vision was becoming blurred and his consciousness seemed to be fading.

And she didn't know if it was an illusion, but she always felt that the smell of rotten eggs in the air seemed to be getting stronger and stronger

.

After finishing the phone call with "Kunio Koizumi", Vermouth became more convinced that there was no problem with the software in her hand because of Kunio Koizumi's attitude.

"Okay, we've been here for too long, it's time to go back."

Vermouth said, then turned to look at Chianti and said:

"Chianti, go get this Shiliang"

However, before she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that something seemed to be wrong with Chianti.

Chianti's eyes, which had been full of energy and able to cast vicious glances at others not long ago, now looked red and swollen, as if he had played games all night.

"Vermouth, do you think the smell in this room is too bad?"

Chianti spoke weakly, and as she spoke she began to cough violently.

The next moment, he fell to the ground with a thud.

A strong bad feeling came over me.

Vermouth then shifted her gaze to Sera Masumi who was lying on the ground.

This high school detective who had been attacked several times by himself but was still able to maintain consciousness,

Her originally healthy complexion now looked unusually pale.

At the same time, Vermouth also noticed that Sera Masumi had quietly put one of her hands into her pocket, obviously trying to take something out of it.

But at this moment, Sera Masumi seemed to have lost the strength to move her fingers. She collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

Her pair of deep green eyes, which looked particularly unique and beautiful, were now red and swollen, just like Chianti's.

Vermouth was fine when she was standing still.

However, when Vermouth took a step towards Chianti, she suddenly realized that she was also a little distracted and her vision became vague.

At some point, her breathing, which had never become disordered during the fight with Sera Masumi, began to become abnormally rapid.

A severe headache and loss of balance, like the feeling of waking up the next day after being extremely drunk.

It's so disgusting that it's unbearable.

"It's poison gas!"

Only then did Vermouth realize that all of them were showing symptoms of poisoning.

The composition of this poison gas is undoubtedly the strong and pungent smell of rotten eggs that permeates the air at this moment.

Hydrogen sulfide.

Since Hakone is surrounded by natural hot springs, Kunio Koizumi's room is directly connected to a small private hot spring.

So there is always a faint smell of hydrogen sulfide in the air here.

Everyone here has long been accustomed to this smell, so they don't care too much about it.

However, it was precisely because of this situation that seemed to be taken for granted in Hakone that they were like frogs being gradually heated up in warm water,

completely unaware that danger was gradually approaching.

They were unaware that the level of hydrogen sulfide in the room was rising.

And without realizing it, Vermouth and others had inhaled excessive amounts of hydrogen sulfide gas.

'What on earth is this.'

Vermouth quickly realized that this could not possibly be Conan's doing.

Because hydrogen sulfide is an extremely dangerous gas.

In addition to its extremely toxic nature, the most terrifying thing about it is that it can easily cause serious pollution to the surrounding environment and affect a huge area.

If the operation is slightly improper, it is likely to affect a large group of people.

So this was definitely not something the Conan she knew would do.

*Ding*

The sound of the door being opened was heard, quickly attracting Vermouth's attention.

With her body a little unstable, Vermouth half-knelt on the ground, her eyes fixed on the door.

Then, a figure dressed similarly to Chianti, wearing a thick black mask that almost covered all of his facial features, slowly opened the door and walked in.

(End of this chapter)