Chapter 141: The Resolve of Shinichi Kudo and Heiji Hattori (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader Qinghe Yue_)

At the crack of dawn, Hattori Heiji and Conan were already awake. To be precise, neither of them had slept a wink all night. A sudden, crushing weight of responsibility had settled upon them, keeping both of them awake.

"The sun is almost up. We should get moving," Heiji murmured, looking out the window.

"Yeah, let’s go. But how are we going to approach those cases? Will your father let us see the files?" Conan replied, staring at the ceiling.

"He won't. But don't worry, I have a way." Heiji sat up and strapped his communicator onto his wrist. When he glanced at the time on the watch, he froze.

"Heiji, what’s wrong?" Conan asked.

"Shinichi, what’s today's date?"

"July 16th, I think."

Without a word, Heiji held the communicator in front of Conan so he could see the date. It clearly displayed June 11th.

"I think this is the result of the timeline being fractured, just as they described," Heiji said, his tone heavy with complexity. "Someone living permanently within a chaotic timeline can never realize the chaos. If a clear-headed person were to appear, they might even seem like a mentally ill patient in our eyes."

"If this environment were naturally part of the world, I might accept it. But since this is artificial, I cannot accept it—nor can I accept that people in the future will live in this chaos without even knowing it."

Heiji stood up and straightened his clothes. Conan had a premonition that during the night, Heiji had made a monumental resolution—a decision that ran contrary to his lifelong dreams.

Over an hour later, Kogoro Mouri was chatting with Heiji’s father, Hattori Heizo, the Osaka Prefectural Police Commissioner and a powerful figure in the police force.

"Heiji, why are you walking so fast this early in the morning?" Kazuha Toyama asked, watching Heiji approach with a stiff, determined posture. Conan followed closely behind, and as he locked eyes with Ran Mouri, they shared a silent, knowing smile.

"Heiji..." Heizo had intended to reprimand his son for being rude in front of guests, but upon seeing him, he felt an inexplicable premonition that a long-held wish of his was about to come true.

"Father," Heiji stopped before Heizo. "I want to join the police force! I will follow your advice and apply to the Police Academy when I reach university."

Heizo’s face went blank with shock, followed by an uncontrollable smile. Beside them, Kazuha was utterly stunned. Having grown up with Heiji, she knew how much he loved being a detective. For years, Heizo had tried countless methods and reprimands to no avail. How could he change his mind after just one night? What on earth had happened?

"Good, good, good! I believe my son will be an excellent police officer in the future!" Heizo was so overjoyed that he lost his usual stern demeanor.

"Father," Heiji spoke again, "I would like to ask you to grant me access to the files on cold cases and unresolved crimes."

Heizo’s smile faded as he stared at his son for a long time. "Heiji, if you are still playing those detective games, I cannot accept this." He gave Heiji one last chance to reconsider. If he was using the police career as a mere excuse to browse files, he was sorely mistaken.

"Father, as of today, the 'Great Detective of the West' no longer exists," Heiji replied, his tone earnest and solemn.

"Very well! I will have someone teach you the investigative procedures and the knowledge required of a police officer. And yes, the file archives will be open to you—you may read them as much as you like, provided they do not leave the premises." Heizo walked over and patted Heiji on the shoulder. "Do not let me down."

Ten minutes later, Conan walked up to Heiji, who was standing alone by the railing.

"No need to say anything. This is a decision I’ve thought through thoroughly. But are you ready to face a mountain of difficult, messy cases?" Heiji crossed his arms, watching the branches sway.

"Actually, you didn't have to..."

"It’s fine. Didn't the detective who shared my title disappear as well? With no rival left, I don't need to fight for the title of 'Greatest Detective' anymore." Heiji spoke with a relaxed expression, though the way he turned and walked away betrayed the complexity of his inner state.

Conan sighed, watching Heiji’s retreating back, and pulled out his phone.

"Hello? Dad, it’s Shinichi."

"Shinichi? Your mother and I are vacationing in Hawaii. Is something the matter?" Yusaku Kudo sounded surprised by his son's call.

"Dad, I need a favor." Conan hesitated for a moment.

"Go ahead." Yusaku signaled to Yukiko to stop their stroll along the beach.

Conan looked up one last time at the direction Heiji had gone. "For the foreseeable future, could I ask for your help with deductions? I will tell you the information I have, and you can help me find the path and analyze the situation."

Yusaku remained silent for a long while. He knew his son’s temperament; he was as competitive and prideful as he had been in his own youth, especially regarding deduction. To have his son actively request his help—not just once, but for an extended period—was something Yusaku had never imagined.

"Very well. I’ll keep my phone on. Contact me whenever you need to," Yusaku agreed.

"Thank you, Dad." Conan hung up and took a deep breath. *Heiji, I see your resolve, and I won’t be left behind. No title of 'Greatest Detective' matters as much as resolving the current situation.*

In Hawaii, Yusaku lowered the phone as the dial tone echoed.

"Was that Shinichi-chan? What happened?" Yukiko asked curiously.

"He asked me to help him with his deductions," a faint smile appeared on Yusaku’s face.

"Impossible!" Yukiko stared at him, trying to see if he was joking. "Has Shinichi lost his mind, or are your ears playing tricks on you?"

"No, he has grown up," Yusaku said with a sense of gratification, sliding his phone into his pocket. "Let’s go. We’re going back to see him."

"Right, I’ll book the tickets now," Yukiko said, tugging at Yusaku’s clothes. "Hey, Yusaku, why do you say he's grown up? What exactly happened?"