T/N: I checked the Detective Conan Wiki and rewatched the episodes following the Miyano Akemi bank robbery arc, but I couldn't find any official episode or chapter that connects to this Case. If there is a same Case in canon, feel free to point it out.
Now, on to the main text.
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Several days later, at the Beika TV station building.
Mouri Kogoro, invited to be a guest judge on a gourmet show, was dressed in a respectable suit, his hair meticulously styled.
His face was beaming with the self-satisfaction of a man of standing as he strode into the studio with Ran and Conan.
"Wow, it's so lively in here!"
Upon entering the studio, Ran exclaimed in admiration, curiously surveying the set and the busy staff.
"Hi~! Detective Mouri, Ran, and Conan!" a familiar voice called out.
Rin and Ellen were sitting in the front row of the audience, waving at them.
"Rin-san, Ellen!" Ran happily responded, pulling Conan over. Mouri Kogoro followed leisurely behind.
"What a coincidence, are you here to watch the show too?" Ran asked.
"Yes," Rin pointed to the contestant area behind the stage where preparations were underway, "We're here with Ellen's sister, Rina. She's one of today's contestants."
The group looked in the direction Rin pointed.
A mature older sister, dressed in a classic black and white maid outfit with an exquisite apron, stood quietly there.
She had smooth, silver-grey long hair, a beautiful face, and a gentle demeanor.
Her graceful figure stood out even more in the fitted maid outfit.
"Oh, oh, oh!"
Mouri Kogoro's eyes instantly went wide, his expression that of a lecher.
He left Ran and Conan behind and sidled over, grinning, "This beautiful lady must be Rina-san? A pleasure to meet you! I am Mouri Kogoro, one of today's judges. My daughter Mouri Ran and your sister are very good friends."
He enthusiastically extended his hand.
Rina curtsied slightly, her movements elegant and proper, a polite smile on her face: "Hello, Detective Mouri, I've heard much about you. I am Rina, and it's an honor to be on the same stage as you."
She gently shook his hand once and then released it.
"Not at all, Rina-san, it is you who possess an extraordinary temperament!" Mouri Kogoro rubbed his hands, his eyes sparkling, "To participate in this gourmet show, you must be very knowledgeable about cooking, right?"
"I wouldn't say I have deep knowledge; I just cook out of personal interest. I think it's a wonderful thing to cook for family and friends."
Rina's voice was soft and pleasant, and she looked at Ellen in the audience with gentle eyes.
"However, I am quite confident in my cooking skills. Ellen always eats every last bit of my dishes!"
"Oh? Ellen is quite supportive, then."
Mouri Kogoro's interest grew even stronger, his expectations for Rina's cuisine instantly soaring, and he took the opportunity to boast:
"It seems Rina-san cooking must be extraordinary! To tell you the truth, I am also very knowledgeable about gourmet appreciation. The TV station inviting me to be a judge is absolutely a sign of their discerning eye! Hahaha!"
Ran, standing by, couldn't bear to listen any longer. She didn't want her father to have too much interaction with any woman other than her mother, so she exposed him:
"That's enough, Dad! You often can't even tell the difference between salt and sugar! Last time, you put sugar in the soup instead of salt, making Conan drink three whole glasses of water!"
"Hey! Ran, don't expose me." Mouri Kogoro's face instantly turned red, and he glared angrily at his daughter.
"Pfft…" Rin and Ellen giggled in the audience. Conan also gave a speechless half-moon eye.
Just then, a fierce quarrel erupted from the other side of the stage, attracting everyone's attention.
"Sakamoto Keisuke!, please mind your words! As a judge, my duty is to objectively evaluate the dishes, not to save the contestants' face!"
A middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses and meticulously combed hair spoke with a stern face and a sharp, harsh voice.
Standing in front of him was a young man with a mushroom haircut and a slightly plump build, whose face was flushed and looked very agitated.
"Objective? Ōgawa-san, last time you said my soup tasted like dishwater! The time before that, you said my grilled fish was a mummy! Is that objective? You're clearly targeting me!"
The chubby young man with the mushroom cut, Sakamoto Keisuke, angrily retorted.
"Hmph, if your skills are inferior, don't blame the judge for being strict." Ōgawara Satoru adjusted his glasses, his tone full of disdain, "Chef Watanabe, wouldn't you agree?"
He looked at another judge next to him, a middle-aged man with a kind face wearing a white chef's uniform—Watanabe Kenichi, head chef of a famous Tokyo restaurant.
Watanabe Kenichi frowned slightly, clearly not wanting to get involved in the argument, and simply said in a deep voice: "Alright, both of you, the show is about to begin. Please prepare yourselves."
His gaze swept over Sakamoto Keisuke and another tall, thin contestant, Fujiwara Yu, who stood a little further away, looking somewhat nervous.
Ran recognized them and quietly introduced them:
"That man with glasses is Ōgawa Satoru-san, a very particular gourmet critic known for his sharp and merciless words. The one in the chef's uniform is Chef Watanabe Kenichi, whose cooking skills are amazing.
The mushroom-haired man arguing with Mr. Ōgawa Satoru is Sakamoto Keisuke. I've seen him in past show reruns, he seems to have been eliminated several times."
The host took the stage at the appropriate moment, enthusiastically introducing the three judges and the three contestants.
"So, today's culinary theme that our three contestants will challenge is—"
The host drew out his voice, pulled a slip of paper from a giant lottery box, and read aloud:
"—Chinese cuisine 'nine-turn intestines'!"
"Pfft!"
Rin in the audience spat out a mouthful of soda water.
She quickly covered her mouth and looked at Ellen beside her: "Nine… nine-turn intestines?! Ellen! R-Rina, she… can she really make this?"
Ellen, sucking on a lollipop, looked expressionlessly at the stage, her voice lacking confidence as she replied:
"I don't think it matters to Rina-nee whether she can or not, right? Anyway, her cooking is just… well… bold!"
Rin stifled a laugh and patted her chest: "Thank goodness, we're just the audience, we don't have to eat… Poor judges, especially Uncle Mouri, look at how expectant he was just now… Puhahaha!"
She couldn't help but burst into laughter again.
Conan and Ran exchanged glances, surprised by the topic.
Chinese cuisine is vast and profound, and nine-turn intestines are known for their complex preparation and rich flavor. Neither of them had ever tried it.
The competition began, and the three contestants immediately plunged into intense cooking.
Fujiwara Yu's technique was skilled, he cleaned the intestines cleanly and efficiently, blanched them, removed the fishy smell, braised them, deep-fried them, and reduced the sauce, with clear steps.
Sakamoto Keisuke, on the other hand, was even more meticulous, repeatedly washing the intestines, and his braising spice blend seemed unique, his eyes filled with determination to win.
As for Rina… her steps also seemed to follow the process, but there was always a subtle difference that made one feel something was off, especially as she kept some of the water from washing the intestines and added it to the braising liquid to cook.
Rin's eyelids twitched as she watched from the audience.
Time passed minute by minute.
Finally, the cooking time ended.
The contestants presented their meticulously plated nine-turn intestines to the judges' table for the three judges to taste.