These people were his subordinates, people he could trust to some extent at certain times, but there was no need for them to know these things.
"Knowing" would be of no benefit, neither to Gin nor to them themselves.
Nana didn't know either.
He relied wholeheartedly on Kurosawa Zhen, on 'Zhenjun.' He might have vaguely touched upon the tip of Gin's iceberg, but the person she knew was not Gin—even if she might truly choose to stand on Gin's side.
She will also never learn the truth of her Sister's death.
Gin thought that perhaps she would never know—unless Shiratori Midori could truly come back to life.
They all didn't know.
Gin didn't want to say anything either.
He never wanted to say.
Akai Shuichi.. naturally didn't know either.
Compared to the people mentioned above, he had not even experienced "the years back then," and he was not even sure who the protagonist of the story was.
But what does that matter?
Are there few people who know the truth? Do they not still remain just as ignorant?!
He certainly felt an impulse to say something.. not because Akai Shuichi was truly special, not because he had truly moved him.
It was only.. it was only because he had been suppressing it for far too long.
Like a small boat drifting upon the sea, every bit of the past, every "memory" encountered, was a stone upon the boat.
By today, the small boat is almost unable to bear the weight.
If Shiratori Midori's notebook, as mentioned by Akai Shuichi, was another stone, then his subsequent words, his voice, his gaze were the final straw.
Xiaozhou drifted aimlessly, swaying unsteadily, before finally sinking beneath the surface of the sea.
Gin also felt as if he were experiencing the suffocation of drowning.
He suddenly had an impulse to say something, it didn't have to be the Truth, it didn't have to be Shiratori Midori, it didn't even have to be anything related to it.
Just to say something—even if it was just his current mood.
—To tell someone who has nothing to do with all the old stories, or all the grudges and emotions.
—To tell someone, an outsider who knows nothing from beginning to end.
Akai Shuichi knows nothing.
Then perhaps, when telling him, there wouldn't be any consequences, right?
However, in the end, he did not say it.
Gin was still Gin.
But in the end, the youth, who had suddenly become so oppressive that even Akai Shuichi felt it, spoke slowly, his voice carrying an emotion that he himself could not even identify:
You don't know anything," he stated, speaking slowly. "What gives you the right to say that?
After a pause, Gin closed his eyes, as if enduring something. When he opened them again, it was as if he could no longer suppress his sharp edges; he looked at the person opposite him with a cold and fierce gaze, his eyes heavy, resembling both the twilight in the mountains and a hawk in the forest.
"Stop acting on your own authority," he said in a lyrical tone, with a mocking cadence and an air of apparent disdain.
Those words were a bit hurtful, but Akai Shuichi was not hurt by them.
Then.. you shouldn't look at me like that, the Black-haired agent thought.
Those eyes, which were the same color as his, should have clearly been as cold and sharp as a vanguard's blade, yet at this moment, they were instead like a half-melted ice knife.
Still cold, still sharp.
But it can also.. be melted.
He curled the corners of his mouth slightly, speaking in a tone that was gentle and tolerant, yet tinged with a hint of self-mockery.
Human nature is indeed like that—both gullible and suspicious; weak, yet stubborn; unable to make up one's own mind, yet incredibly decisive when acting for the sake of others.
"It seems I am no exception." Having defined himself in this way, Akai Shuichi placed the book back on the coffee table with a relaxed and unrestrained motion.
He did not stop his pace, in just a few seconds, he approached Gin—likely because, during that process, Gin had not moved.
He did not move, yet he kept watching him.
“I truly don't know, I don't think you're willing to tell me either.” Akai Shuichi tilted his head slightly, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment—which he hid well—but it was mostly a sense of certainty:
"But if I find out 'what'.." Akai's eyes stared straight at him, revealing a sharpness and an unstoppable momentum unique to the 'Silver Bullet.'
This combination of calmness and confidence, of boldness and caution, being both aggressive and measured, was indeed Akai Shuichi's style.
To be honest, in this moment, Gin was actually not surprised at all.
Two pairs of similar green eyes gazed at each other, their gazes colliding once again.
“When I know 'when,' will I be able to say something?”
This sentence was clearly a question, yet he spoke it as if it were a statement.
Gin stared at him intently for several seconds before finally letting out a light chuckle.
We'll talk about it.. after you find out 'what' it is.
An ambiguous reply.
He finally gave a reply.
-----------------------
Author's Note: (1) "Vanity Fair": Human nature is so true, both credulous and love of doubt, that it is weak and very stubborn, their own undecided, but for others to do things very decision.
In fact, what Akai did to Gin in this chapter is somewhat similar to what Gin did to Amuro Tooru in the previous chapters—though only somewhat, of course.
Basically, they were all trying to tear open wounds that appeared scabbed over but were actually festering.
Of course, for various reasons, Gin's wound was hidden a bit deeper by comparison.
At the same time, the motivations for the two of them doing this were completely different.
Naturally, the results were also different.
..
Hahaha, I've finally paid off my debt!
..
Thank you to the Little Angels who have cast Overlord Votes or provided Nutrient solution for me~
Little Angels who provided Nutrient solution:
Kongshan Jue and Gongjun Wangshu: 1 Vase each;
Thank you very much for everyone's support, I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 111: Chapter 106: If Everything Is As I Suspect..
For some unknown reason—or perhaps because he knew but didn't want to say—Gin stayed holed up at home for several days before leisurely beginning to plan his move.
Generally speaking, moving is a time-consuming and exhausting task, as you have to move everything from furniture to miscellaneous items. However, for Gin, there wasn't much worth moving.
After all, he was wealthy.
The Owl must definitely be taken, along with those various books, the electronic products he is used to, important files, several trinkets that he doesn't actually use but has kept for many years, some of the belongings left behind by Shiratori Midori.
Besides that, the things that needed to be moved.. were actually very few.
As for furniture and such, buying a new set wouldn't take more than a few minutes.
Gin had always been highly proactive; in just a few days, everything was completed secretly and with great efficiency—a feat for which his financial offensive was largely responsible.
Five days after making his decision, Gin got into his Porsche with Owl in tow, while his tireless personal driver, Vodka, dutifully drove him to his new home.
Perhaps because most of his time had been taken up by the move, the intense emotions that had arisen from the Books on that day had dissipated significantly—or perhaps they hadn't dissipated at all, but were simply sealed away in his heart once again.
It was just like before.
Or perhaps it was because moving had taken up too much of his energy, such that only after Gin had stepped into his new home and settled the Birdcage, thinking he could finally rest for a while, did he receive the news of Heine being attacked amidst his confusion.
..
The blonde-haired man had removed his coat and was wearing only a loose blue T-shirt with a bold Nike logo printed on it. Upon seeing the guest arrive, Heine's blue eyes blinked twice, revealing a calm and composed demeanor like the tranquil scenery of a lake and mountain.
She leaned back on the sofa with one hand propping up her head, her messy bangs making those intoxicating Blue eyes appear and disappear, her legs crossed and resting lazily on the floor, as he grinned a bright smile as a way of greeting.
From the skin peeking out from the loose collar of the blonde-haired man and the white bandages, Gin could easily see that Heine's injuries seemed severe; from Heine's casual posture, Gin could also easily understand that this guy was still far from death.
Gin gave a slight nod as a smiling return to the other's gesture.
Sit anywhere you like." The polite-sounding words were immediately followed by a sentence that revealed his true intent: "It's not like you wouldn't do it anyway, even if I didn't say anything.
Even with such severe injuries, Heine's complaints did not stop.
Gin gave him a cold glance and expressed his profound regret, "Why didn't you injure your throat?"
If your hypothesis holds true, you probably won't be seeing me today." Heine showed no sign of anger; instead, he followed the other man's lead: "You should have taken a taxi to the Mortuary.
Gin gave a cold snort. "Even a mere Patrol Mission can be successful. At this rate, I reckon you won't be far from the Mortuary yourself."
"You can't blame it all on me," Heine shrugged quite nonchalantly. Unfortunately, this movement clearly aggravated his wound, causing him to let out a sharp hiss of pain, his handsome brows furrowing tightly.
Facing Heine's miserable state, as his face contorted from the pain of inhaling a sharp breath, Gin let out a mocking sneer, showing no sense of companionship: "Serves you right."
“Where is your compassion?” Heine gave an eye roll.
His eyes were very beautiful.
In fact, Heine and Sheila both have very beautiful eyes—since Sheila's Mother is Chinese, Gin guessed that these eyes were likely inherited from their Father.
And they were truly siblings. Gin thought: the way those beautiful eyes roll.. they were quite similar.
Gin did not answer that obvious question.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a blue and white box about the size of a mobile phone, playing with it in his left hand for over ten seconds before handing it to Heine.
Heine took it readily.