The Silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow slightly, as expected, he saw Bourbon let out a light chuckle at this inexplicable conversation. "Speaking of which, you dress so heavily every day, you're not afraid of getting a tan, are you?"
No." Gin replied seriously. "I never worry about that.
For some reason, Amuro Tooru felt as if he had lost somewhere.
She raised her hand to press down on the baseball cap on her head, not wanting to continue discussing this topic.
However—
Bourbon.. please at least take some precautions." A male member in his thirties accompanying him was not only capable in logistics but also served as medical staff: "Otherwise, you'll easily get sunburned.
Suddenly speechless, Amuro Tooru swore that he truly heard a sneer from Gin behind him.
After Amuro Tooru left in frustration, Gin glanced at his retreating figure and spoke with apparent indifference, "Brandy has truly gone to a lot of trouble."
The man's body stiffened, he suddenly looked up at Gin.
His eyes collided directly with Gin's cold green eyes, as the latter gave him a half-smiling glance before naturally averting his gaze.
It was as if everything just now had been nothing more than an illusion.
The Man felt a belated shudder run through him, as a faint cold sweat broke out on his back.
..
Setting out—no, that word sounds far too ominous—the days spent traveling together always passed quickly. Although conditions were not particularly good, none of the members were people who couldn't endure hardships.
Of course, Everyone did not lack the desire to challenge the Desert, nor did they intend to make a brave attempt in that regard; they were basically traveling along the edges of the Desert, so they did not need to worry about supplies for the time being.
Previously, Gin had "gifted" several of the opponent's actions to the local Government. Although the half-true, half-false Intelligence was not highly efficient, it nonetheless caused significant losses to the Drug lords.
At the same time, it allowed Gin to eliminate several possible Rat Nests.
And the locations that have already been confirmed will definitely yield some 'harvest' for them.
Bourbon, munching on some dry, compressed food, glanced at Gin. The sharpness and experience the man had demonstrated these past few days was truly admirable.. but at the same time, it was a profound shame.
A person like that.. if only he were on our side.
Gin, completely unaware of Bourbon's inner thoughts, finished his last bite of biscuit and raised his hand to take a large gulp of water to rehydrate. He looked at the clear water in the mineral water bottle under the sunlight; the piercing light showed no mercy whatsoever.
Gin gave a light click of his tongue and tilted his head, gesturing for Amuro Tooru, who was leaning against the car, to come over.
"What's wrong?" As he walked over quickly, Amuro Tooru also finished his lunch. His eyes flashed with curiosity. Standing five paces away from Gin, he looked down at Gin, who was sitting on the ground (sand?).
They had several vehicles traveling along the edge of the Desert; they were high-performance, sturdy enough, some had even been modified with powerful air conditioning—though the latter seemed to be of little use in the end.
The latter nodded to him, signaling Amuro Tooru to sit down, then handed him the map marked with various colorful signs.
Amuro Tooru took the map, with his abilities, he quickly identified their Target. She estimated and calculated visually, then turned her head to ask Gin, "We still need two more days?"
"If nothing unexpected happens," Gin said, resting her chin on one hand, her green eyes half-lidded.
The overly sultry weather, the long drive, the strained nerves—all of it made one feel drowsy. Sitting on the sandy ground for some unknown reason, Gin looked like a Leopard feigning sleep at this moment.
Bourbon felt a bit restless and subconsciously lowered her head, studying the map intently.
Gin was completely unaware; he lowered his eyes lazily, appearing to be lost in thought.
Bourbon was still looking at the map.
The sunlight was harsh, so piercing that one did not want to lift their head, gusts of wind blew from time to time, carrying sand that slapped directly against people's faces.
The weather in the Desert is always heartless, such as the pain brought by the sandstorms, the scorching sun hanging high as if mocking everyone.
The Silver-haired youth's black coat was stained by sand and covered in a layer of grit brought by the wind. He appeared indifferent, merely glancing at the hem with his peripheral vision, his heart remaining completely unmoved.
Anyway, it was black to begin with.
Even if it gets any dirtier, what of it.
So he spoke, in his usual calm tone: "Scotland killed Cavendish."
Bourbon's eyes widened in surprise, he suddenly looked up at him.
Gin's voice remained unchanged: "I sent Sheila."
Amuro Tooru's body froze.
-----------------------
Author's Note: I've made some minor edits.
Today was super busy.. I feel like I just can't get into the spirit after the May Day holiday ends..
The chapter left over from yesterday and today's chapter are both pushed to tomorrow morning, then there is another chapter tomorrow..
This means I'll have to post three chapters tomorrow QAQ
I.. I'll try my best..
Chapter 107: Chapter 102: Before that, first, stay alive..
Gin did not avoid Amuro Tooru's gaze.
Nor did he ignore his expression.
Suspicion, anger, confusion, feigned composure..
And that tiny, almost overlooked trace of vulnerability and.. bewilderment.
Perhaps it was because he couldn't hide it in time—or perhaps it was because he cared too much to hide it, but Gin saw too much in the greyish-purple eyes of the youth across from him.
It was easy.
Oh. He thought with near-total boredom, how interesting.
But even though Bourbon's reaction was so interesting.. he couldn't muster any energy—he didn't even have the strength to mock him.
Forget it, he thought. There was no need to be so unkind.
“Cavendish was in another building at the time. Rum arranged for him to deal with the Traitor.” Gin's eyes were indifferent; for a moment, Amuro Tooru could not discern his thoughts on the matter.
Why?
Amuro Tooru suddenly felt a wave of weakness. His chest heaved violently as he exerted every ounce of his strength to suppress the urge to strike someone.
It was like a festering scar in his chest; he had used every ounce of his strength and a great deal of time to ignore it, but now, the scar that had finally scabbed over was being torn open once again.
It was a bloody mess.
And so, that bone-deep, unforgettable Pain he had ignored was brought back to his memory once more.
Her heart tightened, in her daze, he almost suspected he was bleeding.
He was questioning her, yet he didn't even know what he was asking.
Why did you send Sheila to stop me?
Why did you know I would go to find Scotland?
Why.. does Scotland have to die?
Why are you telling me about this?
He didn't even understand what he was asking, but Gin seemed to understand.
—No.. or perhaps, Gin isn't clear on it either.
But the result was no different.
The Silver-haired youth tilted his head slightly, his expression as damnably calm as ever: "Your current expression is not quite appropriate."
“If you want to survive in the Black Organization, do not reveal too many of your true emotions.” Gin's voice was low, lingering hauntingly in the Blonde-haired youth's ear.
Perhaps because the weather was too hot, some syllables of the next sentence seemed to evaporate into the air. Amuro Tooru looked up, only to feel that the person before him was as indistinct as his voice.
He couldn't see clearly.
“Even if you really care about him, even if you watch him die with your own eyes, even if you—" After a pause, his tone remained as steady as ever, "even if you are in truly deep pain."
You still cannot show it so obviously.
Gin raised his left hand and gently cupped Amuro Tooru's face, his cold green eyes carrying a barely perceptible hint of gentleness. It seemed as if he were looking at him, yet he also seemed to be looking through him at something else.
Because he is a traitor to the Organization." The silver-haired youth gently patted Bourbon's face, his voice as quiet as if it could scatter with a single breath. "Do you understand now?
His brain felt as if it had turned into mush; the rationality and reasoning skills he had always taken pride in seemed to have completely failed him at this moment. Amuro Tooru could not feel his own breathing, yet he heard his own voice:
Why are you saying this?
Gin released him, silently pulling away to create distance, said in a slow yet meaningful tone, "Your hostility toward Sheila is too obvious, toward Rye as well."
“..”
He clearly didn't care about Bourbon's silence: "Do you think.. the Black Organization will ignore them?"
“..”
But—" Gin seemed to be in high spirits, raising her eyebrows and flashing a shallow smile, as if in temptation, "Do you want to know more Truth?
Amuro Tooru's throat moved slightly as he restrained himself, his usually gentle and sunny voice turned slightly cold: "What are you planning to do?"
When you've grown a bit more.. at least, to the point where it isn't so easy for me to catch you in a mistake," Gin said indifferently. "Then, I will tell you more—
He stood up and walked toward the vehicle not far away, leaving only a final sentence that drifted away, faint and indistinct, scattered by the wind and sand.
But Furuya Rei still heard it clearly.
“Before that, just focus on staying alive—staying alive for a long time.”
..
Although it was not his first time in Africa, considering the vast area of Africa and the various government agencies scattered across it, Gin could be said to be very unfamiliar with Africa.
Especially the Desert area.
Fortunately, the Black Organization has extensive connections, they somehow recruited two young mercenaries to serve as "Guides"—judging by their skills and experience, Gin felt the price for this mission would likely not be low.
Neither of the two Mercenaries looked like Asians.
One of them appeared to be a local from Africa, a tall and well-built man who was very familiar with the road conditions and all the possible accidents that might occur. He had a bold personality but was not careless, throughout the journey, he spoke in English with a heavy local accent, leaving the entire group somewhat dazed.
Fortunately, although he spoke that way, he did not demand that others agree with him, over the past few days, he had managed to build friendships with certain people.