Although she was of Japanese-Italian descent, it was certain that Italy held a special significance as his second home, to say she was soul-searching for it would be pure nonsense.
You have to realize that while the number of missions the Black Organization carries out in Italy each year isn't huge, it certainly isn't small either, Heine has never been this proactive; not to mention that the Black Organization's branch in Italy undergoes personnel transfers every two or three years between there and Japan, so if he really wanted to go, couldn't he just say the word?
—Besides, if this guy misses his homeland, he should be going to Milan!
Heine was intimidated by Gin's gaze and walked obediently ahead; with this man being so tall and having such long legs, even walking with his hands in his pockets made for a fine view.
The silver-haired youth intentionally lagged half a step behind him, lest the guy would catch him off guard and crowd him again.
The afternoon sunlight lazily coated this European country in a thin layer of golden glaze. Under the skies of Sicily, this unique Italian "pearl" revealed its love-hate essence to everyone. It possessed both beautiful coastlines and agricultural forests, as well as domineering Mafia organizations. Conversations in the distance were mixed with the unique accents of the locals, flocks of birds soared through the clear blue sky. Gin walked lazily down the road, feeling the wind brush against his cheek.
From behind, that golden glaze seemed to be plated upon the man who possessed the blood of half a romantic capital; the sunlight danced through his reddish-brown hair, blending into a warm and enchanting hue.
Gin refrained from making any comments, merely feeling that this guy was getting more and more reckless with his hair.
This man, who previously dressed flippantly and looked over fifty, now looked only in his early thirties in casual attire; yet, within this man of actual age thirty-three or thirty-four, there seemed to reside a rebellious youth, forever chasing fashion trends, his originally beautiful blonde hair being constantly messed with.
Fine, not too long ago it was black, but this time he dyed it reddish-brown.
By the way, it seemed someone just said Gin's hair color was very beautiful, he was considering whether he should switch to this color next time.
Sorry, I was born this way; you can't envy it.
..
As expected.
"I happen to have a mission in Italy" was a complete excuse—or perhaps there was a grain of truth to it.
Gin looked at the reddish-brown-haired man with a half-smile, his lips curling into a mocking smirk, everything left unsaid.
Heine spread his hands helplessly, making a gesture of begging for mercy. "I was.. really just looking to take a stroll."
The Silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow, as the evening glow spilled across his face, tinting his pale and cold features with a trace of rosy light.
The emerald waters shimmered with scattered glints of light under the refraction of the sun, carrying a sense of mockery that required no words.
Heine's captivating blue eyes met that lake of green, after a moment of silence, his answer came out exactly the same as before.
Gin couldn't be bothered to argue with him. He reached out with his left hand; the hand that had used a handgun to strike others was long and bony, the slightly protruding knuckles casting faint shadows in the glow of the sunset.
Heine took a step back. "You're not thinking of hitting me, are you?"
Gin: ……
His green eyes held not only mockery but also a look as if he were looking at an idiot.
He opened his hands, a small black machine lay quietly in his fair palms, the contrast in color strikingly obvious.
Heine had no intention of admiring the sight, nor did he have his usual frivolous expression on his face; he recognized what it was.
A positioning tracker.
"Ma.." It can't be that bad.
The man looked somewhat distressed.
If you want to leave, then take it." Gin's eyes were indifferent. "If it isn't serious, I have no intention of reporting it, it's just—
Gin raised an eyebrow. "Sometimes, I also have a bit of inconsequential curiosity."
"Can't you just let me off the hook?" This was already a hint.
Gin curled his lips into a handsome arc. "Recall your previous actions properly before you come to talk to me about this."
If you bring trouble upon yourself, do not blame others for using their position to retaliate.
Heine sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead, eventually taking the positioning tracker and putting it on himself with a look of helplessness. "You know I have a way to trick this, right?"
The blue sea was no longer as restless as usual, instead presenting an exceptionally deep and calm stillness, reflecting the serious attitude of its master.
Of course.
Gin thought to himself.
He could give several examples right now, such as hiring someone to wander around the streets with this, then taking it back once the job was done, so on.
As long as money is provided, certain "small matters" will always be resolved, not to mention the "renowned" Mafia present here.
If he couldn't do it, that would be the strange part.
The Silver-haired youth only wanted to make things difficult for him on purpose to unsettle him.
Gin gave an indifferent smile, his coldness and mockery fading slightly in the glow of the setting sun, revealing a rare moment of sincerity.
Heine's eyes darkened.
The Silver-haired youth's lazy voice intertwined with the languid atmosphere of the dusk: "Then I'll see how sincere you are—"
He said this in a joking manner.
Then he turned and left, leaving behind a long black shadow on the ground.
The man with beautiful Blue eyes raised an eyebrow slightly as he watched his back, then curled his lips into a helpless smile.
..
This mission was quite boring.
The black-haired undercover, currently in the Black Organization but with his heart across the ocean, evaluated this mission.
Although most missions where Gin was absent were ordinary—with a few being quite interesting—this mission was, in Rye's mind, completely boring.
The mission was ordinary, the kind that was slightly challenging but entirely solvable—he could handle it alone, provided he didn't intentionally "go easy" on it.
His teammate was silent. Akai Shuichi was not a man of many words, Borse, one of those Dutch Gin types, was so quiet that it was as if "taciturn" was his personal motto. Thus, silence was the only option.
Moreover, Borse seemed taciturn and possessed a rather stubborn personality, he was the one holding the USB drive containing the intelligence. Akai Shuichi had originally intended to contact his other colleagues to see if they could seize the intelligence, but this stubborn shell was simply too hard, he could not find a suitable opportunity to strike throughout the journey.
—If he doesn't want to be suspected.
So he could only watch helplessly as Borse took the intelligence back to the Black Organization, sent a helpless text message to his colleagues saying, "The plan is canceled."
He suspected that Gin might be doing it on purpose, but upon reflection, he felt it was unlikely.
It was nothing else; if he truly suspected his identity, then given Gin's status and manner of operation, there was no need to be so circuitous.
Although they had not known each other for long, perhaps due to an obsession or excessive preoccupation, Akai Shuichi had an intuitive suspicion regarding Gin's common methods, he was often quite accurate.
Even though the weather wasn't particularly hot, the rush back had left Akai Shuichi with a thin layer of sweat; tiny droplets of moisture clung to the tip of his nose, his skin was pressed against his non-breathable shirt by the perspiration. It wasn't exactly sticky, but it certainly had nothing to do with being "comfortable."
The Ace Agent lifted his gaze with a hint of irritation, but a familiar figure suddenly caught his green eyes.
Ah—what a coincidence.
Just as he thought of him, he appeared.
Akai Shuichi's mood suddenly brightened.
Green eyes observed the silver-haired man for a while before reluctantly shifting his gaze to the person beside him.
The Black-haired agent scanned the Reddish-brown haired man without showing any emotion.
—He seemed to have seen this man before.
-----------------------
Author's Note: (1) This sentence comes from Xian Si 23333
In the end, Akai makes an appearance.
..
Here is a little Easter egg for everyone.
In Chapter 38, Akai thought to himself, "He isn't a man of many words.. but when he is with Gin, he seems to speak a bit more. —Though not by much," speculating to himself, "Is it because, by comparison, Gin is even more taciturn?"
At this time, partnering with the even more taciturn Borse meant a journey filled with silence, lol.
By the way, as I was writing, it suddenly occurred to me that if the Agent knew the specific details of how GIN and HINE interacted, he probably wouldn't be in such a good mood.
..
This is basically a massive chapter combining two into one, so hurry up and praise me!
..
Thanks to Meow Unspeakable Little Angel's landmine, love you, muah~
Chapter 47 Chapter 45 Gin: I Thank You, My Ass..
"Gentleman." The first to speak was Borse.
He was a youth who had only just received his codename. He looked to be only twenty-two or twenty-three, with black hair and black eyes. He was tall with long legs, possessed a lean and capable build, had a handsome, solemn countenance.
His eyebrows were thick, dark, slender, his eyes were somewhat rounded, exuding an inexplicable hint of youthful cuteness that did not suit him, yet the corners of his eyes tilted slightly upward, showing a touch of sharpness when he narrowed them. His ink-black eyes were like glass beads, reflecting no light at all.
His lip color was pale, an unnatural white.
"You're back? My mission is already complete, I am currently preparing to deliver the 'spoils' I have retrieved." The black glass beads caught a glimmer of light, looking more like a reflection of the lamp, as pale lips opened and closed to utter these few words, appearing utterly cold at first glance.
But those familiar with him knew that, for Borse, this could already be considered a warm attitude.
Akai Shuichi stood silently to the side, thinking to himself that in this brief span of less than a minute, the words this man had spoken almost equaled the amount he had said during half a day of being his partner.
Gin curled the corners of his mouth slightly and offered a rare word of praise: "Well done."
It was indeed good; even with an Ace Agent following along, he was able to bring the "thing" back intact, the mission duration was not short.
Having just completed the mission in Italy not long ago and handed the materials over to Rum, he was preparing to leave the Base when he ran into these two head-on.
I don't know if it was fate.
Heine muttered in his heart, scanning the two highly promising Newcomers before him—specifically, Gin's Subordinates—his inquisitive gaze left nothing to the imagination.
Rye and Borse were both incredibly calm.
The Reddish-brown haired troublemaker raised an eyebrow, a lazy expression crossing his face as he said with a half-smile, "Is your mission very urgent?"
The exhaustion of several days was clearly written on their faces; even though the two were young and full of energy, the dark circles under their eyes were quite prominent. Their wounds had stopped bleeding, but stains of dried, dark blood could still be seen beneath their clothes, stubbornly clinging to the fabric. Most of the wounds had been treated, but some minor scrapes had only been dabbed with ointment and left alone; traces of them could be seen on Akai's hand and Borse's arm.
The dried sweat on their two handsome faces and the slight dampness on their shirts were impossible to ignore. Even though they had entered the Base and found air conditioning, it had not been long enough to dry, the lingering moisture honestly declared the state of its owners.
Heine naturally would not overlook it.