The Phantom Thief of Heart! But Conan.

Chapter 1123 The Little Mermaid

"If that's the only reason you think Curacao is somehow the same... Kumail, don't blame me for laughing at your naiveté."

After completely exhaling the last trace of the bitter smell of tobacco from her mouth, Vermouth leaned back on the cushion behind her, as if recalling something from the past.

"I'm not surprised by your choice, Kumail. I see you as one of my own, based on observation, not preconceived notions. Regarding Tang Zezhao, regarding those children, regarding those things that don't belong to you, yet you can't help but cling to them... In the end, you made this choice. I really, truly, am not surprised."

"That sounds like a sarcastic remark."

"Even if it's irony, it's irony towards myself." Vermouth curled her lips, unperturbed. "Curaçao, if you want me to evaluate her, she's not worthy of being considered one of her kind. She's a complete anaerobic bacterium, growing in darkness. Giving her sunlight will only kill her. She doesn't have your intense rage that wants to tear everything apart, and she may not even feel much sadness for her fate. Perhaps you should listen to what Rum said to her."

"Do you think she will trust Rum more?"

"I think she's like a blind person with empty eyes and empty hands, unable to see the future and not knowing where to look. Unless you have the confidence to clean a piece of white paper that has been stained by black and draw what you want on it, otherwise... you'd better continue to control her mind and don't let her think of things she shouldn't think of."

Listening to the headphones, I could hear Vermouth's voice, with a hint of boredom, still wrapped in the night. In front of me were a few children playing Curacao, laughing and making noises.

Tang Ze put down the blank key chain that was shaking in his hand, raised his eyelids and looked at the boarding area at the end of the elevator.

Outside the tall glass curtain wall, searchlights still shine brightly even in the daytime.

This is a really interesting scene.

Curacao's memory ability is positively correlated with color after long-term training. When using her ability, she needs to use filters of different colors, and use the patterns and switching of colors to assist in the memory of images.

According to Tang Ze's understanding, this may be related to the connection she had with Rum.

Rum's previous ability was also very special. It was similar to Curacao's memory ability. He could directly retrieve specific pictures and complete a forced memory and comparison.

Considering that as he grew older and used his abilities, Rum not only gradually lost this ability, but even lost an eye...

"So, Rum's eyes are also a disease?"

Vermouth on the other end of the phone was silent for a moment, then let out a sharp laugh.

"Very sharp, little one, very sharp. Scary sharp."

Vermouth propped herself up from the cushion and looked at the light that was seeping in from the gaps in the tightly drawn curtains, unwilling to be outdone, and laughed softly.

Even without much reminder, through Curacao's condition, Gin's orders, and Rum's changes, Kumail still realized the truth about her real fear of Curacao.

It's terrifying, yet also comforting. A beast without claws would simply be caged, becoming just another curiosity to be admired.

This is what she really needs.

"It's good that you understand what I mean. Don't let her regain her memory. Let her stay a child. That's what I hope. If you can't do that... then don't let Gin have any doubts about you. He's also a white shark who is extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. Don't let him smell anything."

After hanging up the phone, Tang Ze turned the phone in his hand and watched the excited children in front of him climb the escalator.

After dragging Curacao around the aquarium, sealing off the cheating game master Tang Ze, and playing around with the facilities on their own, the children, who had finally had a great time, did not forget the tickets that Professor Agasa had worked so hard to queue up for and spend money to get, and were ready to experience the so-called double-wheeled Ferris wheel.

The park is not so outrageous as to sell tickets for two rides on the Ferris wheel. Although the two axles on the north and south sides of the Ferris wheel require separate queues and entry at different places, each person with one ticket can board the car once at each of the two entrances.

The Ferris wheel, especially one made in such a modern and high-tech style, is still very new to the children, and they are discussing it with great interest at this moment.

"The fountains on both sides are really beautiful from here. By the way, can we catch the light and shadow show and the fountain performance on this trip?" Ayumi Yoshida held on to the handrail of the escalator, stood on tiptoe, and looked at the ground and pedestrians below that were getting smaller and smaller. She was already feeling excited.

Just being able to climb to a high place and take in the surrounding scenery is already an exciting scene.

"The timing should be just right." Dr. Agasa checked his watch and confirmed, "There will be six performances every day. When it's our turn, we should be able to catch the second show in the afternoon."

"Actually, the light and shadow show would be more effective at night. We could go see the dolphin show first, right?" Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya said, checking the park's brochure and lamenting, "The dolphin show here is also limited in time each day."

"It's better not to watch the dolphin show." Huiyuan Ai shook her head gently. "Although dolphins can be trained to be very tame and can interact with tourists and take photos, which looks very cute, but in fact, this kind of performance is very cruel."

"Eh, is it like a circus?" Yoshida Ayumi's smile faded. "Last time I saw on TV that animal training is really cruel."

"It might be even more cruel than a circus. Dolphins have very sensitive hearing. They communicate through calls, have their own communities, and live their own lives. Calling that civilization seems a bit far-fetched, but they do have their own little societies." Huiyuan Ai spoke slowly, as if offering scientific advice. "Even if the zoo considers the animals' feelings, living in crowded waters can't compare to the enjoyment of living in the ocean. The cheers and applause of the surrounding humans are even louder and more deafening than the dolphins' hearing... Most of these dolphins have very short lifespans."

As she spoke, she kept an eye on Curacao's movements.

After climbing the escalator and seeing the flashing searchlights below, Curacao's face turned pale. It was not known whether it was because of the fear of heights or because he was disturbed by the strong sound and light stimulation.

She couldn't help but want to talk about some metaphorical topics to test the other party's reaction.

The fact that Tang Ze was able to allow such an unidentified member of the organization to approach him showed that he was confident that he could control the situation.

But it would be inappropriate if her fluctuations in condition caused unnecessary commotion.

"Is this really going to happen..." Yoshida Ayumi grabbed the keychain hanging from her collar, "It sounds so cruel."

"Dolphins are small mammals that share some similarities with humans. Born and raised normally in the ocean, they can live up to 50 years, with some species potentially reaching 70. But living in a small cement aquarium tank, a dolphin rarely lives more than five years. In comparison, it's like locking a human in a cramped cage from childhood..."

Curacao looked up in a daze.

The escalator slowly rose and disappeared into a covered road section, where the azure sky was blocked by light gray glass.

The light dimmed in an instant, and the grayish-white light fell on her face through the glass divided by the streamlined steel structure.

"...They only have a bed barely big enough for sleeping, and are given some food every day, sometimes nothing at all. And then, every day, these dolphins need to constantly perform repetitive performances and movements, cooperate with the feeders who provide them with food, and even come into close contact with many unfamiliar tourists..."

Everything around slowly faded, the afternoon sunlight was completely blocked by the cables overhead, and the escalator fell into the shadows.

The brilliant colors were replaced by a monotonous cement gray and iron white.

This is the queue entrance for the Ferris wheel. When the escalator reaches the highest point, they will wait here for the previous group of Ferris wheel riders to finish their tour and board the wheel in turn.

"...a healthy dolphin's active space is over 100 square kilometers. This means its entire life has been shrunk 20 times, confined to a tiny pool. Dolphins like this will never live long."

While saying something that was very destructive to the child's fantasy, Haibara Ai noticed that Curacao's expression became more and more dazed and absent-minded as she spoke, and she couldn't help but tense up.

She was telling cruel truths about dolphins, but they all mirrored the point where Sonya's memory was cut off.

Since leaving the organization, she has gradually dared to face up to everything that happened in the past.

Once the selected subjects enter the organization's experimental institution, they will soon be examined like experimental animals and classified according to age, gender and other standards.

Then there are endless experiments with no end in sight.

Medical devices, drugs and medicines, various inspections and data.

They don't know the purpose of the project they are about to face, and they will have to undergo almost destructive brainwashing. Those who disobey discipline will be punished and reprimanded, and some may never appear again.

The pressure of survival, the fear of the unknown, and the confusion about changes in the body and brain will gradually overwhelm these people.

"Some dolphins will even resort to extreme means to harm themselves just to escape from that environment." Huiyuan Ai lowered her eyes. "Their lives are short because of this environment. Their bodies will collapse quickly."

"How pitiful..." When Yoshida Ayumi heard her say this, tears already appeared in the corners of her eyes.

"Yes, it's very pitiful." Huibara Ai sighed slowly.

When she entered the organization's laboratory and discovered that the drugs they had on hand had not been clinically verified and that living people were used in every round of experiments, her hands were shaking so much that she could hardly hold the report.

This is not a simple drug development. Whether it is a dangerous project like APTX or various other drugs under development used by the organization, they are all dangerous products with extremely strong side effects, which are enough to cause various serious sequelae in the short term.

That was not a stack of reports at all, it was a thick stack of death certificates and a stack of bloody evidence of crimes.

At that moment, all the self-deceiving hope that she had suppressed in her heart collapsed in an instant.

She was being groomed by a criminal organization. She wasn't a child with high hopes and love. Instead, she was being deliberately guided into becoming an executioner with a purpose. What she held in her hand wasn't a scalpel, but a sharp blade that would sever lives...

That was the first time she had an argument with someone in the organization, and the first time she had to face Gin's anger.

"Then let's not go see it..." Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya's face turned pale. "I, I've been to several aquariums and seen it, but I didn't expect..."

"This isn't your fault." Realizing that she had been letting other emotions get to her head, Huiyuan Ai quickly tried to appease them. "I think once more people know about this, this kind of performance will eventually be banned."

"A sick and short life?"

Curacao, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke up, and it was their turn in the queue.

Haibara Ai turned her head and looked at Curacao, whose eyebrows had drooped and looked a little sad.

What I just said must have evoked her memory to some extent.

Even if she hadn't recovered yet, she must have remembered some of what little Sonya had experienced later.

"Being locked up in a place like this since childhood, never seeing the vast ocean for a lifetime, isn't this kind of life a bit too tragic?"

Curacao muttered to himself and turned his head away.

For her now, the only person in this group who can make her feel safe and give her protection like an elder is Tang Ze who stands silently behind her.

The Ferris wheel slowly stopped rotating, and the cylindrical cabin stopped in front of them, slowly opening the hatch.

A few children who didn't hear the noise behind cheered and walked in. Tang Ze stepped forward and held the arm of Curacao, who was in hesitation.

"It doesn't matter. You're not a dolphin, and dolphins don't suit you. Look, you've already seen the ocean."

Tang Ze said gently, pushing her to keep up with the children.

A lot of money was spent on the design of the Ferris wheel for its scale and sense of technology. This cabin was very spacious and could accommodate all of them.

Curacao was pushed by Tang Ze in a daze and walked into the elevator.

The cramped, dim glass was removed, and as the car began to rotate smoothly, clear sunlight penetrated the side and top barriers and shone into the car.

The light from the sky came in.

On both sides are fountains with high-raised water curtains, and four-color lights gradually light up, dividing the entire sky and dyeing it into gorgeous colors.

Pedestrians and roadside trees slowly moved away, the buildings on both sides sank underfoot, and further away, the boundless ocean, reflecting the subtle light of the rolling waves, spread out before our eyes.

Curacao's face was completely illuminated, and in a trance, she remembered the Little Mermaid in the book, which she had finally finished reading after having great difficulty learning to read.

The morning glow grew brighter, and she threw the knife into the sea. She felt her body melting, and gradually rose from the foam...

Curacao closed his eyes.

"Big sister, big sister! What's wrong with you!"