Jangxia Tongzhi remembered that the whole gift-giving mess started with an operation by Dr. Ogawa on August 3rd, two years ago.
The patient was a five-year-old kid named Ogino Tomo. The appendicitis had been discovered too late. The surgery failed. The kid didn't make it.
After his death, Ogino's father received 25 million yen in insurance.
But Ogino didn't care about money—he just wanted the doctor to feel the same pain he had.
Coincidentally, Dr. Ogawa also had a young son.
So Ogino started transferring 25 million yen to Dr. Ogawa in chunks. At the same time, he decided: when the doctor's son turned five, he'd kill him.
And now, two years had passed. The son was exactly five years old.
…
From a distance outside the kindergarten, Jangxia Tongzhi stared at Ogino, doing what all psychics do: internal multiple-choice questions.
But this time, there really were no options.
A naive kid like Dr. Ogawa's son—even if he got backstabbed, he'd probably just die in confusion. Not much ghost residue to collect.
Kids like Xiaobai, who wanted to tie red strings for people before they were even born, were one in a thousand.
And in the Detective Conan universe, children seemed to have some kind of invincibility buff—the mortality rate was suspiciously low.
Jangxia suspected that even if he just stood back and waited for the ghost, Ogawa's kid wouldn't die.
So better to go straight for the source of the murderous aura.
Jangxia touched the throwing stick hidden under his clothes, but didn't take it out.
This wasn't a standard murder case.
The guy was obsessed. He gave away 25 million like it was pocket change. And this was about his own son.
Just beating him up might not shake off that level of murderous intent.
He'd have to wait for the right moment.
…
Beika Central Hospital
In the reference room, the files were stacked like small mountains.
With classic Conan-style deduction and an old game console as a tool, Conan finally pinpointed the name "Ogino Tomo," the kid who died of appendicitis.
He ran to Dr. Ogawa and laid out Ogino's "eye for an eye" plan.
Dr. Ogawa panicked and immediately called the kindergarten—only to hear that his son had just been picked up by "Daddy."
The blood drained from the doctor's face.
When Jiangxia earlier hinted "the children," the doctor had thought of his former child patients.
He hadn't realized the real target was his own son.
Dr. Ogawa burst out of the hospital, channeling all his grief and rage into speed.
Since the kid had only just been picked up, maybe there was still time.
Kogoro Mouri and the others took off after him.
…
Maybe it was the magical father-son telepathy.
When they reached a stretch of bridge, Dr. Ogawa glanced down to the right by accident—
There was his son, holding a remote control plane, smiling ear to ear.
And behind the boy stood a middle-aged man, knife in hand, raising it to strike.
Dr. Ogawa yelled uselessly, "Yuta—!!!"
The Mouri family looked down in alarm.
Conan squatted with a grim face and flipped the switch on his sneakers—
A new gadget from the Doc that boosted his leg power, to make up for his otherwise pathetic strength stats.
Electric sparks flickered from his sneakers as he reached for a nearby innocent child's soccer ball. His plan: kick Ogino into submission.
But before he could kick—
From behind the tree next to Ogino, a man suddenly stepped out.
The four people on the bridge flinched.
…It was Jangxia.
…
In his usual efficient style, Jangxia silently snatched the knife from Ogino's hand and kicked the back of his knee.
Ogino hadn't even processed what was happening before he crumpled to the ground, startling the little boy who had been happily flying his plane.
The four on the bridge let out a collective sigh of relief.
They started to head down to join Jangxia—
Then stopped in their tracks.
Because they saw Jangxia raise his arm and whack! bring down a solid stick strike.
The stick landed on Ogino's shoulder with a thunk.
Ogino flew into the tree trunk beside him.
Dr. Ogawa, Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri: "…"
Conan on the bridge: "…"
He knew it would go like this.
Conan stared at the soccer ball in his hands, torn.
Kick it? A few days ago, he kicked so hard he broke a tree.
If he used that kind of force on Jangxia… felt morally questionable.
But not kicking it… Ogino might actually get beaten to death.
All four of them fell into collective silence.
In just a few seconds, Ogino was on the ground, totally wrecked.
Ran was the first to snap out of it. She shouted, panicked, "Stop hitting him!"
Below, Jangxia casually landed another blow without even looking up.
The bridge was long. If they took the stairs around, Ogino might be out cold by the time they arrived.
Ran leaned over the bridge to check.
A moment later, she bolted toward the nearest staircase.
…
Jangxia wasn't even using full strength—just tapping experimentally.
But Ogino's murderous aura wasn't budging.
Jangxia's enthusiasm faded fast.
So next, he didn't even bother to really hit—just struck a few times for effect.
More like pressure-testing than actual violence.
When Ogino finally started getting dizzy, Jangxia turned to look at the child.
According to Jangxia's script, this was the part where the kind-hearted kid would rush over and say something like "Don't hit uncle!"
That pure innocence would awaken Ogino's fatherly feelings.
Touched, he'd give up the murder, the murderous aura would dissipate, and the case would close with good vibes.
With that in mind, Jangxia gave the kid an encouraging look.
…
But the kid didn't move.
Instead, he stared wide-eyed at Jangxia… then clutched his plane tighter, backed away, and teared up.
Jangxia: "...?"
Maybe the kitchen knife earlier scared him.
Jangxia threw the knife aside. He smacked Ogino—who was starting to raise his head—again, to keep the fear factor down.
Then he turned and gave the child his best friendly smile.
The child shivered violently. Then bolted behind a tree and didn't dare peek out again.
Jangxia looked at the rough bark of the tree: "…"
…This isn't right.
This was not how the script was supposed to go!
Glossary:
Psychic multiple-choice questions: A running gag where Jangxia treats ethical or moral decisions like test questions.