"Kaitou Kid" exploded with a pop.
The reporters flinched, terrified, their faces full of despair.
But there was no fire, only a shower of confetti.
"It... didn't explode?"
Everyone stood frozen.
"Kaitou Kid was a fake! It was a dummy!"
The tension in the room broke. Some people collapsed into their chairs, their foreheads covered in cold sweat.
Heiji caught one of the cards as it fell. It had a line of text.
"The left hand is not the right hand. When hands are clasped, the art thief will arrive to take the treasure that belongs to the sun. - Kaitou Kid."
All the cards were identical.
A few quick-thinking reporters held their cards up to the cameras.
[What does that mean?]
Everyone began to ponder the riddle.
Heiji thought for a moment, then smiled.
"Heiji, my boy, did you figure it out already?"
Jirokichi had been watching him and asked immediately.
"What? So fast?" Kaito Kuroba froze, stunned.
[That fast?]
Conan's face tightened, not wanting to be beaten.
"What trick is that Hattori brat playing now? That riddle makes no sense. It can't be that easy," Kogoro grumbled.
"Mr. Hattori, this is no time for bluffing," the insulted reporter sneered.
Heiji raised an eyebrow. He was going to ignore this clown, but he just kept asking for it.
"Sir, shouldn't you honor our bet before you speak?"
Instantly, all attention snapped back to the reporter.
[Idiot Reporter Challenges Genius Detective, Admits He's a 'Baka'.]
The reporter's face turned beet red. He lowered his head and fled.
Heiji didn't move, nor did he watch him go.
"Mr. Hattori, aren't you going to stop him?" the reporter of Japanese descent asked.
"That's not my job."
Heiji's simple reply earned him the respect of the other journalists.
"Heiji is so cool," Ran sighed.
"Ran, he just didn't want to deal with him. He's not as cool as Shinichi!" Conan quickly interjected.
"But would Shinichi be that cool in this situation?" Ran wondered.
[Heh. If it were me, I wouldn't have been provoked in the first place.]
Conan sighed.
Heiji's comment brought the press conference back on track.
Jirokichi Suzuki looked at Heiji, surprised. This kid didn't do anything, yet he's controlling the room. Is he doing this on purpose?
"Consultant Suzuki, it's your turn to speak."
"Ah, right. Well, does anyone else have questions for Heiji?"
Heiji frowned. What is this old man doing?
But this was exactly what the reporters wanted to hear.
"Mr. Hattori, why were you so confident Kaitou Kid would show up?"
Heiji smiled. "Although the security guards are professionals, they are still human. They can't hold one pose for that long."
"Also, this is just a press conference. The security level is low. There's no need to stand perfectly still."
"If someone meets both those conditions, they're either hiding something, or they're not human."
This explanation stunned everyone.
"So you knew from the start that the guard was a dummy?"
Heiji nodded. "At first, I just suspected. But when you all wrongly accused that reporter, I was sure. Kaitou Kid wasn't here, but he had already set the stage."
"Then the bet..." someone asked.
"Strictly speaking, the reporter actually won. But he forfeited."
The crowd was dumbfounded. They all felt a moment of pity for that reporter.
"In that case, why were you so confident before?"
If Heiji had lost the bet, his plan would have been exposed.
"He was always going to choose that Kid wouldn't come," Heiji said confidently.
"Can you explain, Mr. Hattori?"
Everyone was lost.
Heiji nodded. "As journalists, what's the most important skill?"
"The most important skill?"
The reporters thought.
"Observation," the reporter of Japanese descent said.
"Correct. Observation. In criminology, we have a term for it: micro-expressions."
"Micro-expressions?"
The reporters scribbled in their notebooks.
"Micro-expressions are observing a person's face to gain information. A successful reporter needs to be observant."
"You all made it into this press conference, so you are clearly the best. You're all good at this."
This line immediately won the reporters over.
"I used that reporter's observation against him. I controlled his psychology."
"I led him step-by-step into my trap. The problem was, his skills weren't good enough to notice."
Heiji's words silenced the entire room.
The reporters looked at Heiji with a new sense of fear.
A simple bet contained so much information. He had weaponized his own expressions.
"Is this the power of a great detective? It's terrifying."
The reporter voiced what everyone was thinking.
After the silence, the room burst into applause.
"Heiji is amazing," Ran was in awe.
Conan and Kogoro sulked. Damn it, that Hattori brat is showing off again.
"Ai was completely right. You two are both amazing," Professor Agasa said.
Watching Heiji on the screen, a soft look appeared in Ai's eyes.
This "deduction" about expressions earned Heiji countless new fans.
Suddenly, a ball dropped from the ceiling and rolled to the center of the stage.
"What's this? More entertainment?"
A reporter curiously walked toward it.
"As a gentleman of the night, I follow the trail of sin. Sin is one."
"It cannot be seen with the left eye or the right eye. Only when both eyes stare, will the sin be revealed."
"At that time, this gentleman will take the dazzling jewel from the white bird's talons. - The Night Baron."
The ball suddenly spoke, scaring the reporter, who fell to the ground.
"It's the Night Baron! The Night Baron is here, too!"
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