Gin glanced sideways; at times, he wondered if living her way, the way Madra lived and acted, would make her life very exhausting.
But perhaps she was already used to it.
Having already grown accustomed to it, Madra nodded and turned, looking down at the test tube in her hands once more. Even after her recent outburst, her pitch-black eyes remained calm and undisturbed.
The lights in the Laboratory illuminated the spacious area, their glow reflecting into her black eyes, yet the light seemed to be entirely absorbed by her eyes, without a single glimmer escaping.
Gin looked at the white lab coat she wore, which was a similar shade to her skin tone. Madra had already removed all her jewelry before entering the Laboratory, leaving only a pair of blue gemstones on her pale, bloodless earlobes.
Every time she saw Madra, she seemed to be wearing gemstone earrings.
The only difference was the color.
Brandy likes Ruby, Gin knows this.
Perhaps because her superior likes them? The Silver-haired youth thought irresponsibly.
"Is it alright to wear earrings in the Laboratory?" Gin's gaze fell upon her earrings.
Madra did not look back. Wearing white gloves, she picked up a test tube; the liquid inside was also blue, shimmering with a blue light under the light, matching the color of her earrings.
Her hands were very steady. "It's fine."
After saying this, she explained further, "This experiment isn't very important, the preliminary steps have all been completed; it's just observation."
She steadily dripped the liquid from the other glass test tube: "Besides, I sterilized everything before entering the laboratory; as long as you don't mind losing your earrings, it will be fine."
"Oh?" Gin let out a questioning sound.
Madra nodded, her eyes fixed on the chemical reaction within the test tube, her fair face taking on a strange hue in this setting: "Correct."
The black-haired woman put down the test tube and began recording the data.
These kinds of experiments can sometimes be volatile; they don't necessarily cause corrosion, but they certainly do have some impact.
Madra turned her head to look at Gin, the fingernail-sized sapphire on her earlobe shimmering brilliantly: "The earrings won't affect this kind of experiment, but the experiment might affect the earrings."
"Of course, it's not a big problem; at most, I'll just change them for a new pair." Her black eyes betrayed no emotion, her voice was cold and calm, sounding polite and respectful without any excess sentiment.
She indeed didn't feel much heartache over the earrings.
Gin nodded and did not ask any further questions.
He had only spoken a few extra words out of boredom; now, he shifted his gaze elsewhere, quietly observing the equipment in the Laboratory.
The Black Organization also places great importance on human research; although it cannot compare to the resources given to Sherry, among the many research projects, the funding Madra receives is among the top tier.
Perhaps it was due to Brandy's influence, but it must be admitted that Madra herself was highly valued by the Black Organization.
Gin's expertise lies in murder and arson, seizing territory, negotiating business deals; he is proficient in everything from real gunfights to bribery and intimidation, occasionally playing the role of an interrogator, he is quite capable of analyzing personnel.
However, true scientific research.. was not part of his skill tree.
Although he could understand some of the content in this field—after all, times were changing, assassins needed to keep up with the times, as did the core members of the Black Organization—but as for actually producing some results..
It's better to leave it to the professionals.
He only knows the Basic.
In the eyes of Sherry and Madra, it was truly Basic.
Krovi, the Newcomer who recently obtained a codename, is probably better at this than him.
Madra recorded the data, her black eyes turning toward the test tube, where the liquid inside had completely changed color.
She waited for about three minutes, then placed the test tube into the specialized laboratory equipment, wrote down the final set of data, began wrapping up her work.
That's about it." The Black-haired woman didn't stop her hands, tidying her things while continuing in a voice as calm as if she were apathetic, "Sorry to keep you waiting, Gin.
She finished packing her things and gave Gin a bow.
Tsk—" Gin gave a light click of his tongue, then turned around, his eyes and brows appearing somewhat indifferent. "No need.
Really, no need.
While he was in this Laboratory, almost all the questions he raised were explained by Madra. The Black-haired woman appeared quiet and didn't speak much, but she was extremely serious when answering—even if it was a seriousness born of mere etiquette.
From the uses and methods of the equipment, to the synthesis of the liquid within the test tube and what he was expected to do, to the research topic and the current progress.
It could be said that he was extremely serious.
She was also.. revealing too many things that shouldn't be revealed.
After all, even for him, such things were not to be revealed so casually; the other party acted as if they were willing to let him know as much as he wanted to know.
Gin lowered her eyes slightly; he had sensed something from Madra's attitude—or perhaps, she had intended for him to know all along.
The Silver-haired youth couldn't help but let out a slight, cold sneer.
It seems Brandy truly places a high value on that research..
But to be honest, even though he did it with a hint of intent, he couldn't help but marvel at Madra's patience.
After all, in Madra's eyes, many questions were nothing more than the simplest of things, yet she could explain them in detail from beginning to end with a calm attitude, never showing even a hint of emotion.
At least Sherry cannot do that.
Well, well..
In that case—
Rather than saying he came to wait, it would be more accurate to say he came to cause trouble.
However, he didn't feel much guilt about it.
The silver-haired youth walked forward with his thoughts wandering aimlessly, his Burberry trench coat accentuating his tall, long-legged stature.
After walking a certain distance, Gin lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, forming an irregular circle of smoke.
Back in the Laboratory just now, his craving for cigarettes had also flared up a bit.
Perhaps this was one of the reasons he was causing trouble on purpose.
—Who knows?
Behind her, the black-haired woman with snow-white skin had already taken off her white coat from the Laboratory; her clothes were simple in style, yet clean and sharp.
She slightly raised her eyes and looked at Gin's back.
His black eyes remained calm and waveless, revealing not a single glimmer of light.
..
The Laboratory within the Black Organization is not a good place for conversation; being as prudent as Madra is, she would never arrange a meeting there.
And she certainly wouldn't arrange to meet him during his working hours, making him wait.
So, this time it was entirely Gin's own spontaneous idea—or perhaps a different kind of test.
Even so, Madra still expressed her apologies—even if they were merely apologies of etiquette.
Gin raised an eyebrow slightly but said nothing about it.
Afterward, they headed to the previously agreed-upon meeting location, a Western Restaurant.
Gin would not act as a driver, even if the passenger were a woman.
Madra felt no displeasure at being treated as a driver—even if she were truly displeased, she would not show it.
It wasn't that she had never been a driver before.
Compared to pure scientific talents like Sherry and Krovi, Madra is much more versatile.
In the past, she followed Brandy around, taking on multiple roles: she did everything from being a bodyguard to a driver and an assistant, in addition, she had to perform his own primary duties, making his incredibly busy.
Perhaps this girl's ability to handle everything was forged back when she was being trained.
But then again, not everyone is entitled to the "all-encompassing" treatment Madra provides; she does not maintain this attitude when facing an Ordinary person.
Gin's favorite car is the Porsche 356A. This model is nearly out of production on the market now, he has invested a great deal of effort into it—it is even more important to him than an ordinary subordinate.
Nonsense, there are as many subordinates as one could want in the Black Organization—especially certain useless ones and underqualified Undercover [male]s—but there is only one Porsche 356A!
Gin does not like letting just "anyone" sit in her beloved car, but since Madra has dealt with him several times and they are currently in a cooperative relationship, it was understandable that the Black-haired woman sat in the driver's seat.
This model of Porsche is rare nowadays, its age could certainly be considered quite significant; although Gin liked it, he didn't necessarily think it was more useful than a modern luxury car.
Therefore, he had carried out various modifications on it over the years; in terms of performance, this "vintage car" was not much inferior to professional racing cars.
The black Porsche came to a steady halt at the entrance of the Western Restaurant.
This establishment was a high-end Western Restaurant, the stylized lettering of "Ti Nesi Menya Reka" above the entrance was elegant and beautiful. The waiters in suits had hosted many guests, but they ultimately could not compare to certain long-standing luxury boutiques.
Although he had seen many wealthy families come to dine here, this kind of car was rare; even he could not help but show a hint of curiosity. However, it was clear that the staff in the Restaurant were well-trained; they quickly suppressed their surprise and maintained their smiles as they watched a man and a woman step out of the car.
The Western Restaurant was magnificently decorated and meticulously arranged, with the tables positioned in an orderly fashion. Every detail was handled with perfection, making it clearly worth its price; during the summer season, the air conditioning was strong but never made one feel cold, various colorful flowers were placed in certain corners, adding a touch of vitality to the atmosphere.
Madra had reserved a seat in advance, the two of them sat down in a quiet private room.
Gin seemed to be lost in thought until he sat down; coming back to her senses, he looked up at Madra. "Is this restaurant Russian?"
The sign in front of the door clearly read "Ti Nesi Menya Reka." It was rare for a song title to be used as a restaurant name, but it wasn't unheard of.
It is a Russian song.
Madra shook her head. "No, but its owner is Russian."
Gin nodded in response. Something seemed to occur to him, he lowered his eyes thoughtfully, though he showed no outward sign of it.
You mentioned 'Bourbon' in your email before; what did you mean by that?
Gin got straight to the point.
He was not a man of hesitation, asking his question directly and bluntly.
Madra showed no expression: "It seems Bourbon is investigating something."
Gin frowned slightly.
He knew Bourbon was an undercover agent for the Japanese Public Security; could it be that he had revealed some flaw and been discovered?
Forget it, it has nothing to do with him. Gin thought to herself, unconcerned, relaxed her brow, feeling quite at ease.
Her position is closely related to intelligence, so I didn't think much of it at first," Madra's voice was very calm, she even nonchalantly poured herself a cup of the recently served coffee. "However, the target of his investigation is quite special.
How so?" Gin's eyes were languid, he took pleasure in watching the other person's misfortune. "Bourbon has stumbled upon something he shouldn't have.
“In a way, yes, but not really.” Madra gave a somewhat contradictory reply. She lifted her eyes, for the first time, a flicker of emotion appeared within her pure black eyes—an emotion that was somewhat complex: “She is investigating someone from six or seven years ago.”