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"Indeed." Suzuki Sonoko nodded and said, "I saw on the navigation software that this clock tower was originally built by foreigners in the Edo period. Now, after being restored and renovated, it has become the most special symbolic building on this Edo Street."
"No wonder the first answer to the riddle is set here. It seems that the organizer really wants us to come and see this tower..." Kogoro Mouri walked over slowly with his hands in his pockets.
"From this perspective, this reasoning activity was indeed specially planned by the organizers so that we, the guests, can fully understand the various buildings on this Edo Street..."
As Suzuki Ayako spoke, she and Shizuka Shizuka walked to the side of the crowd and also looked up at the tall clock tower in front of them.
However, unlike her who was smiling, Qingshui Jing seemed to have encountered something urgent. Her hands kept pressing on the mobile phone, her head was lowered, and her brows were slightly wrinkled.
"By the way, should we go in and take a look first?" Suzuki Sonoko couldn't help but ask.
"That's not necessary. Just follow the organizer's pace." Maori Kogoro waved his hand and replied casually: "Anyway, this is a group activity. There won't be any special instructions even if we go in first..."
"Then I'll take this opportunity to go to the store next door and buy some drinks for everyone!" Mao Lilan suggested with a smile.
Attracted by the government plan, many shops have opened on this rice flower Edo street, selling all kinds of snacks.
In order to fit the theme of Edo Street, even the shop assistants are wearing different styles of kimonos, as if everyone has really traveled back to the Edo period.
"Well, I'll trouble you, Xiaolan."
While a few people were standing outside the tower and talking, more and more guests who had solved the puzzle were walking towards this side on the street behind.
As time went by, most of the guests gathered here. As for the small number who did not come, they probably ran off to other places in Edo Street to visit and play halfway.
Since this event did not require all guests to participate, after most people had arrived, Xue Dingyao, who was in charge of hosting the event, also walked out from the crowd.
She stood in front of the clock tower, holding a big speaker in her hand, and shouted to the crowd:
"Everyone, pay attention! Pay attention! We have now arrived at the location specified in the first puzzle, which is the clock tower, the tallest building in our Edo Street!
Next, please follow me into the clock tower, prepare to challenge the next puzzle, and then catch the hateful thief with your own hands! Be careful not to be attacked by the thief, okay? "
As Xue Dingyao finished speaking, everyone entered the clock tower from the main gate.
The area inside the tower is not very large, but it is more than enough to accommodate dozens of people.
"Alright! Here we come! Damn Phantom Thief! Just surrender!"
"Eh? Strange, the Phantom Thief isn't here..."
However, there was no sign of the thief as everyone had expected in the clock tower. Instead, there was a huge screen hanging in front of the stairs leading to the upper floors.
"Om."
With a sound of electricity, the screen suddenly lit up and a picture appeared in front of everyone.
"what is this?"
"They are all brick and tile houses. They look like some ancient place."
"It should be somewhere in Edo Street, right? The image is not very clear..."
"But there is a river and a stone bridge in the picture..."
Just as everyone was discussing with each other, a male figure suddenly appeared in the screen. He was wearing a cloak, a top hat, and a mask on his face... It was obvious that he was the man who played the thief.
"Hello? Can you hear me? Well, it seems that there is no problem..."
Standing next to the stone bridge in the picture, the Phantom Thief clenched his fist and coughed twice, then continued in that frivolous and pretentious tone:
"So, how many people came to this clock tower? Oh, it's a pity that I can't see all of you brave people in person..."
"Huh! It's you, after all! The Belt Thief! Are we still a step too late?"
With an angry expression on his face, Xue Ding pointed at the thief on the screen and shouted, "Just wait there! We will catch you soon!"
"Oh? If you ask me to wait, will I definitely wait?"
The Phantom Thief put his hands in his pockets and made a deep expression.
"However, in order to continue our unsuspicious game, I'll give you some more tips..."
"Eh?"
“Next, I will leave another secret code at the place where I am standing. Whoever can decipher this code will have the opportunity to fight me directly.
Of course, this time the code is not as easy to crack as before! How many people will be able to come to me in the end? Let me wait and see! Hahahaha!"
With a burst of wild laughter, the picture on the screen was interrupted.
At this time, Xue Dingyao also turned around and looked at everyone in the tower with a lovely smile on his face.
"Everyone, did you hear what I just said? The thief seems to have left a final hint at the place in the picture just now, so let's rush over there immediately!
Don't worry, I'll go with you once everyone decides on a place! Of course, I won't give you any hints, okay?"
“This is very simple!”
Suzuki Sonoko clicked on the navigation software and found an icon of a bridge on it.
"Just now a stone bridge appeared on the screen. The thief must be at the Spectacle Bridge in Edo Street!"
Spectacle Bridge, the only stone bridge in this Edo-dori street, got its name because the two arches under the bridge form a pattern like glasses when reflected on the water.
"The name is really random..." Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but complain as he looked at the introduction on the navigation software.
This is not difficult. Basically, as long as you carefully look at the map on the navigation software, you can determine the location of the thief on the screen.
"Wow! You guys are awesome! You found the location of the Phantom Thief so quickly! Now, next! Let's head to Spectacles Bridge together!" Xue Dingyao shouted with a smile.
Following her call, everyone left the clock tower and walked towards the location on the navigation in twos and threes.
Chapter 464 My brother-in-law is invincible!
"Huh? Ah, they've already left."
After everyone left, on the top floor of the clock tower, Shuichi Akai leaned against the wall, wiping his gun while talking to the voice in the headset.
"Don't worry, the organizer has placed the screen in front of the stairs on the first floor. No one will be able to get up there."
As he said this, he raised the sniper rifle in his hand and aimed at the crowd below.
"What? Haven't the people from the organization shown up yet?"
“Ah, Bourbon and Kiel, it seems that we can often see them in action recently, and it seems that they have regained the trust of the organization.
Of course, this is also a good thing for us..."
As he spoke, Shuichi Akai adjusted the sight slightly, and a figure on the street below appeared more clearly in his field of vision.
That was none other than Haibara Ai who was walking towards Spectacles Bridge with Mori and his group.
"Don't worry about me. You should pay more attention to the organization's actions than me. I think there are definitely more members of the organization hiding in this Edo Street than just Bourbon..."
"Everyone! The Phantom Thief should have left the final clue here. Let's find it together now!"
On the other side, after everyone left the clock tower and slowly came to the Spectacles Bridge with a playful attitude, the host of the event, Xue Ding, took out her loudspeaker again.
"You need to work harder. Once you have found the clues, please use your wisdom to solve the puzzle!"
The process of finding clues is not difficult. After all, the clues are written on a wooden sign hanging on the stone bridge, and you can see it if you look carefully.
"Found it! Xiaolan! Come quickly! Look! There are some strange Chinese characters and numbers on this sign!"
Suzuki Sonoko was the first to spot the wooden sign and quickly called everyone over to answer the questions.
"Hmm? Let me see..."
Following her shout, the navigation software on everyone's mobile phones started to sound again, giving the same prompt as on the wooden sign.
"Then the ashes are turned over and the annoying mouth starts to sing..."
After reading this difficult set of Chinese characters with great difficulty, Mao Lilan felt overwhelmed.
"Hmm, I don't understand it at all. I remember that the Chinese characters taught by the teacher in class never had this kind of combination... I don't understand their meaning at all. Are they asking us to rearrange these Chinese characters?"
Not only her, but all the other guests present also had bitter expressions on their faces, not knowing how to start. Just as the thief said, the difficulty of cracking this final code was indeed much higher than the previous ones.
"Four, two, two, four, one, four, four, three...and what does this string of meaningless numbers mean?" Suzuki Sonoko was completely devastated by what she saw.
Ai Haibara, who was standing by, stared at the Chinese characters and numbers carefully for a while, and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind. She suddenly opened the translation software on her mobile phone, and after a few operations, the corners of her mouth rose slightly.
[I see, is this how it was cracked? ]
She already had the answer in her mind. Looking at everyone who was still thinking hard, she was about to open her mouth to give some hints, but suddenly she became aware of Shizuka Shizuka who was standing next to Suzuki Ayako.
When she came out of the lobby of the guesthouse, Qingshui Jing seemed to be absent-minded for some reason. She kept looking down at her mobile phone, typing something on it from time to time, as if she was contacting someone.
It was not until this moment when Haibara Ai looked at him that he finally put his phone back into his pocket and turned to look at the puzzle displayed on Suzuki Ayako's phone beside him.
Looking away, Haibara Ai finally chose to remain silent.
She didn't want to stand out too much in front of Qingshui Jing.
"Brother-in-law~"
After scratching her head hard, Suzuki Sonoko, who was puzzled, finally gave up thinking and turned to look at Shizuka Shizuka.
"I can't think of it~ Come and help me~"
"Yuanzi, why do you always give up so quickly..."
With a helpless and doting look, Qing Shuijing sighed, glanced at the puzzle on Suzuki Ayako's phone, and replied directly:
"Let's go to the guest house. The Phantom Thief should have gone back there."
Qingshui Jing did not deliberately suppress his voice. When they heard his answer, the guests around him all looked up and looked at him curiously.
Some of them tried to reverse the puzzle from his answer, but still came up empty-handed.
"Huh? Why?" Suzuki Sonoko asked curiously.
She looked at the wooden sign from side to side, but couldn't tell what the Chinese characters had to do with the guesthouse.
"It's simple. The solution to this puzzle is similar to the first one."
Taking the phone from Suzuki Ayako, Shimizu Shizuka smiled and explained:
"The Chinese characters '翻忍灰倒了樊嘴先唱' have no meaning in themselves. The key is to look at their Chinese pronunciation.
The string of numbers 'four two two four one four four three' represents the four tones in Chinese: one flat, two rising, three curved and four falling.
Use the tones represented by these numbers to replace the original tones of the Chinese characters from left to right and then read them out, and you will get the final answer. "
"The criminal...returned...to the crime scene?"