As they passed a tree, Qin Xiao noticed something amiss.
*(Why is it that only around this tree is there evidence of snow falling off the branches? Why would that be?)*
Seeing Qin Xiao stop in his tracks, Conan immediately hurried over.
"Brother Qin Xiao, have you found some kind of clue?"
"Take a close look at the snow on this tree and see if anything strikes you as odd."
Qin Xiao pointed at the snow on the ground and then began inspecting it himself.
"Brother Qin Xiao, look, there's a freshly dug hole right in this tree trunk."
"Could someone have dug this as a prank? Or maybe someone wandering around nearby—who could have dug it, and what would their purpose be?" Conan stared at the hole in the tree, voicing the doubts in his mind.
"Let's not worry about all that for now. What we need to do right now is protect these things."
"The culprit is definitely not an outsider; I think they're hiding among the Illusionist Fan Club members."
Chapter 158