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The unprecedented acceptance made Ai Haibara feel particularly happy, and she turned around to continue working.

However, as the heavy soundproof door closed behind him, Lin Jiashu's smile slowly faded, and a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes.

"Not interested...?"

He stood in the dimly lit corridor, muttering to himself.

That's the truth.

But that only applies to him right now.

He is still young, his physical functions are at their peak, and he has plenty of time to spare.

But what about the future?

Twenty years later, thirty years later, fifty years later?

When this body begins to age, when his mind begins to dull, when the power he holds in his hands grows so great that it can make the whole world tremble... can he still remain unmoved by the temptation of "rejuvenation" as he is today?

especially……

The rules in the Death Note: [Humans who use this note will neither go to heaven nor hell after death.]

That means—nothingness.

Lin Jiashu doesn't believe in heaven, nor is he afraid of hell.

But he also dislikes nothingness.

Compared to nothingness, where there is nothing at all, where even consciousness itself does not exist, what he desires more is the vibrant life he can personally experience.

That's why he indulges Conan so much, and tolerates the chaotic timeline of this world.

As long as Conan is still a primary school student, and as long as the story of "Detective Conan" has not ended, then time in this world... in a sense, is stagnant, or is cyclical.

Even as the calendar turns page after page, even as he spends countless springs, summers, autumns, and winters in this world, as long as the "main storyline" doesn't end, everyone will stay young forever.

"I wish it would never end..."

Lin Jiashu couldn't help but whisper, "Conan, please just stay... a great detective who never grows up."

He strode towards the sunlit exit.

As long as time stands still, he will be the eternal king.

This is his most genuine answer to the question of "immortality".

Chapter 138: An Endless End

In this world where the passage of time is ambiguous, the phrase "ten months of pregnancy" often represents an indescribably long period.

The seasonal musings of Beika Town always seem to be caught in a strange cycle. Just yesterday, they were celebrating Valentine's Day with chocolate rain, and in the blink of an eye, it's springtime for cherry blossom viewing, followed by a long summer vacation and an endless Halloween.

For everyone in the world, this is just a few moments in a fulfilling and busy "year," but for Lin Jiashu, who is on the outside and watching everything with a clear mind, these days of waiting for the arrival of a new life are stretched out to an exceptionally long time.

But time does indeed move forward in this world, albeit at an unusually slow pace—in the twenty-five years of the "Detective Conan" serialization, from the beginning of the storyline where Shinichi Kudo shrinks to the current episodes, the official sources have acknowledged that five months have been advanced in time.

Vermouth's pregnancy gradually became more apparent.

But finally, the day of delivery arrived.

Minato Ward, Tokyo.

That private, high-end hospital, which serves only a select few, had its delivery room decorated in a very warm and inviting manner.

Lin Jiashu sat on the single sofa by the bed, holding an original book that looked like an ornament in her hand. She was wearing a soft cashmere sweater and silently looked at the book in her hand.

"Stop pretending, darling."

From the hospital bed came a slightly weak, yet still characteristically teasing, female voice.

Vermouth leaned against the soft pillows, her long, golden hair falling loosely over her shoulders. Fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead from the pain of labor. Without her usual flawless makeup, she possessed a pale yet breathtakingly beautiful face.

She glanced at Lin Jiashu, a somewhat forced smile playing on her lips: "You're holding your book upside down."

"..."

Lin Jiashu paused, glancing down at the book in his hand.

It was definitely held upside down...

But in reality, he deliberately turned it upside down for Vermouth's benefit—while he was somewhat concerned about the unborn child, he wasn't that nervous.

Lin Jiashu closed the book, smiled, got up and walked to the bedside. He took a tissue from the bedside table and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Even at a time like this, you still have the energy to care about me. It seems you still have plenty of strength."

"This is to distract from the problem."

Vermouth took a deep breath, suppressing another wave of intense contractions in her abdomen. "It really hurts...it hurts more than being shot."

"I know."

Lin Jiashu held her hand, transferring his warmth to her. "If it were a normal injury, I could have the doctor give you morphine. But this... you'll have to do it yourself. However, after all, it's Vermouth... for you, overcoming this level of pain should be a piece of cake."

"Ha... Don't try to sweet-talk me."

Vermouth rolled her eyes at him, and although she said she was disgusted, she turned around and tightly gripped Lin Jiashu's hand, as if she had grabbed the only piece of driftwood in a stormy sea.

After the pain subsided, she turned her head and gazed quietly at Lin Jiashu with her lake-blue eyes.

"Speaking of which... what's your name?"

She suddenly asked, "Haven't you made up your mind yet?"

"Name?" Lin Jiashu was taken aback.

"Yes, the child's name."

Vermouth frowned slightly in displeasure. "Even though we deliberately avoid looking at the baby's gender during the checkup—shouldn't you at least prepare a few names, whether for a boy or a girl?"

"..."

"Your due date is approaching, and as the father, you haven't even thought of a name yet..." She looked at him with a half-smile, her tone carrying a hint of sarcasm, "It seems that you don't care about this child as much as I thought."

Lin Jiashu was not angry about this accusation.

He paused for a moment, then looked past Vermouth and gazed at the dark night sky outside the window.

“No,” he said softly, “quite the opposite, it is precisely because I care so much that I have been unable to make a decision.”

“Oh?” Vermouth raised an eyebrow.

"Names are extremely important."

Lin Jiashu turned around and looked directly into her eyes. "Sometimes I feel that a name can determine a person's fate, so I don't want to give my child a random nickname, nor do I want to burden him with too heavy expectations. I'm thinking, should I let him have a peaceful and happy life like an ordinary person, or should I let him inherit our will and become the inheritor of this new world..."

"Both of these two very different futures are contained in the name."

“I’m hesitating, Vermouth.”

"As her father, do I have the right to decide her life?"

Lin Jiashu rarely showed a hesitant side.

He was also unsure of his own feelings at that moment.

He's still so young...

But at this moment, looking at the child about to be born from Vermouth's belly, he realized that this was not just a life, but also his deepest bond with this world.

Vermouth looked at him.

Seeing this man, who was usually so shrewd and manipulatory, now lost in philosophical thought over a name, the slight dissatisfaction in her heart instantly vanished, replaced by a gentle light in her eyes.

She chuckled softly and squeezed his hand tightly. "Since it's so hard to decide, let's wait until we see the baby. Maybe then you'll have an idea."

"Alright."

Lin Jiashu nodded.

Just then, a new round of pain struck.

And this time, it was more intense than ever before, so much so that Vermouth suddenly arched her back, letting out a suppressed groan, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

Upon seeing this, Lin Jiashu immediately pressed the call bell by the bedside.

……

Time passed by, second by second.

Lin Jiashu stood outside the delivery room. He didn't feel nervous, but he could feel the weight of "life" being born little by little from nothingness.

at last.

"Wow--!!"

A loud and energetic cry broke the stillness in the delivery room.

Congratulations to you both!

The doctor cut the umbilical cord, skillfully handled the newborn, and a genuine smile appeared on his face. "It's a very healthy, very beautiful...girl!"

Is it a girl?

Lin Jiashu waited for quite a while before being allowed to enter the delivery room.

Vermouth was limp and exhausted on the bed, as if she had just been pulled out of the water, but when she confirmed that the child was perfectly healthy, her tired eyes shone with an amazing light.

"A girl...?"

She smiled weakly, a tear sliding down her cheek, "That's wonderful..."

The nurse carefully brought over the clean baby, wrapped in a pink swaddle, and presented her to Lin Jiashu. "Mr. Lin, would you like to hold her?"

Lin Jiashu looked at the small, wrinkled creature. He could see that she had her eyes closed and was still whimpering and crying. Her skin was very red and she wasn't even considered pretty... He reached out his hands, his movements stiff like a novice defusing a bomb for the first time, and carefully took the incredibly light little life.

soft.

That was his first impression.

heat.

This is my second impression.

The moment that tiny body fell into his arms, a strange electric current instantly pierced his soul.

So, is this what it feels like to be connected by blood?

This is... his more tangible "anchor point" in this false, chaotic, and lie-filled world of Conan.

Lin Jiashu laughed at this.

He looked down at her, his voice as soft as if afraid of disturbing the dust in the wind, "Well, welcome to this... a little strange, but also quite interesting world."

Seemingly hearing her father's voice, the baby in her arms stopped crying.

She slightly opened her eyes, allowing Lin Jiashu to see clearly that they were beautiful eyes somewhat like Vermouth's, and although her hair was sparse, it had a faint golden sheen.

"It seems she inherited your good qualities." Lin Jiashu carried the child, walked to the bedside, and bent down to let Vermouth see.

Vermouth turned her head, her gaze lingering greedily on the little face. She reached out a finger and gently touched the child's soft cheek.

"You look just like me... but your eyes and eyebrows are just like yours, that's good... that's good."

"..." Lin Jiashu just smiled.

"Have you got any inspiration yet?"

"Ah."

Responding to Vermouth's question, Lin Jiashu looked at the baby in his arms, who was gazing at the world with innocent, bewildered eyes, and a gentle smile gradually spread across his lips.

He uttered a single sound softly.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The calendar in Beika Town continued to jump back and forth in that year, with spring and winter alternating, and summer vacation seemingly never ending.

As the "Zoo" organization—the criminal group codenamed "Spider" that is frantically searching for the Pandora Gem—becomes increasingly rampant on the international stage, all eyes are drawn to this group of high-profile, ruthless madmen.

Conan Edogawa, who came into contact with the "zoo" by chance, naturally got involved.

The reckless destructive power of the assassins he witnessed during his investigation gave his excessive sense of justice an outlet. As the Black Organization's activities gradually diminished, this famous detective couldn't help but devote more energy to fighting against the more active "Zoo," even teaming up with Phantom Thief Kid to stage thrilling offensive and defensive battles at various gem exhibitions.

At the same time, the attention of the Japanese Public Security Bureau and the FBI was successfully diverted.