It's just that many people like to make simple things very complicated.
..
Volume One: Part One—
Borse has had many partners.
Some were talkative, some were taciturn; some preferred using guns, some preferred assassination; some liked direct confrontation, some liked to deceive..
Some looked down on Borse, while others were intimidated by him; some wanted to stay as far away from Borse as possible, while others would spout useless nonsense to him.
Some say, Borse, your eyes are very strange.
Using "strange" to describe Borse's gaze wasn't actually that accurate. In fact, most of the time, Borse's gaze was calm and without ripples.
His eyes were very black, as if they were the deepest ink in an inkstone, as if they were the vast and endless night, as if they were the darkest Obsidian in a jeweler's hand.
Deep and dark.
Such a pair of eyes should actually be very beautiful. But in Borse's eye sockets, they seem somewhat eerie.
Because there was no light in Borse's eyes.
When the black-haired youth looked at others with those black eyes that revealed not a single glimmer of light, his gaze was always deathly still. Thus, those two beautiful pieces of obsidian turned into lifeless glass beads.
At first glance, it merely seems gloomy, but after staring into them for a long time, a chill rises from your spine even in broad daylight.
If a timid person spent a few days with him, they might just be scared into a heart attack by those eyes.
Fortunately, timid people generally do not become Black Organization Cadres, even if they do, they would not be Cadres partnered with Borse.
Therefore, the Black-haired youth's list of crimes did not include "inducing heart disease in others."
How should I put it? This is a good thing, isn't it?
..
Volume One: Part Two—
There is a saying that goes well: where there are people, there is a Jianghu.
Although this saying carries a strong wuxia flavor, if the scope of the term "Jianghu" is expanded, its universality increases significantly, making it truly worthy of being a famous maxim.
Even the Black Organization is no exception.
To outsiders, the Black Organization seems shrouded in a veil of mystery. Whether behind that veil lies a ferocious Demon or a silently smiling Angel remains a mystery.
However, within the Black Organization, there are also many disputes.
And rumors.
Everyone knows that most things, once passed down through word of mouth, will inevitably become more or less distorted.
And the truths and lies within those rumors, shifting between real and false, gradually became impossible to verify.
Generally speaking, rumors within the Black Organization fall into two categories.
One is the tacitly understood rumors that are relatively reliable; the other consists of those rumors where a single event has several different versions, leaving the Victim and the perpetrator unable to distinguish between them, appearing either plausible or utterly inconceivable.
As for how to distinguish between these two types of rumors—
It is a matter of individual perception.
Whether there is a specific way to distinguish them is another matter, but those who have been in the Black Organization for a long time have some idea of the difference between the two.
For example, the deep bond between Sherry and Miyano Akemi is real, while Cavendish's tolerant and soft-hearted nature is a lie.
For instance, whether it is true or not that Heine has made a new girlfriend with a slim waist and long legs is uncertain, but the ambiguity between Vermouth and Gin is most likely real.
For example, whether Rum is a woman is a matter of personal belief for now, but the claim that Tennessee likes cross-dressing is definitely a joke.
Of course, some rumors that sound true are not necessarily true, some rumors that look absurd are not necessarily false.
There were also more or less a few rumors surrounding Borse.
For example, his eyes were so terrifying that they once scared an Ordinary Cadre's daughter into crying uncontrollably at first sight.
When he first heard this rumor, Gin slightly raised an eyebrow, looking at his capable subordinate with a hint of interest in his green eyes.
The black-haired youth looked up respectfully at Gin, his slightly pursed lips betraying a hint of uneasiness, while his black eyes held a slight clarity that made the darkness of his gaze appear even deeper.
Gin tilted his head slightly, hooked his hand under Borse's chin, gazed into the black-haired youth's eyes, let out a light chuckle.
He commented slowly, "Quite good-looking."
..
Volume 1: Part Three—
Gin would, of course, think so.
After all, whenever Borse looked at him, there was always light in those black eyes.
Those black eyes, which were dead and devoid of even a single glimmer of light—like two lifeless glass beads that, in broad daylight, could make the faint-hearted jump in terror from their spines and perhaps even scare a timid person into a heart attack—
When meeting those Green eyes, there is always light.
And so the glass bead turned into obsidian once again.
..
Volume 1: Part Four—
Aside from his eyes, there were other rumors surrounding Borse.
For example, although he liked using guns, he preferred close-quarters combat even more; for instance, her sniping was actually terrible, or that when he was on a mission, he would just charge around recklessly, lacking a single thought in her head..
Truth is Truth, falsehood is falsehood.
Some were brushed aside, some were discussed seriously, some even reached the ears of Borse.
However, the black-haired youth rarely explained anything.
First, it was because of his personality, secondly—
Rumors are the kind of thing that have little effect, even if the person involved explains themselves.
When outsiders face those rumors based on mere conjecture, they might discuss them with eager jokes, or perhaps brush them off with a lighthearted laugh; sometimes, what the Truth is becomes rather unimportant.
For example, Borse is radical and ambitious.
For example, he has feelings of love for Gin.
Is it Truth is Truth? Or is it a lie?
Who could know?
And the only thing everyone knows is one thing.
That is, rumors and such cannot be taken as truth.
..
Volume 1: Part Five—
Before meeting Gin, Borse had already heard that man's name more than once.
At that time, Gin had already become famous within the Black Organization. Holding a high position at such a young age, he naturally drew many gazes, some estimating him and others filled with Malice.
However, day after day, year after year, the young Gin remained in his high position, yet those calculating or malicious gazes slowly began to change.
They turned into admiration, awe, or perhaps still Malice—only more subtle.
Most of the time, when they mentioned that man—back when he was a youth—their tone was one of awe. There were also times when their words carried a hint of disdain, but back then, the youth who was Borse only had to look up to see the thick jealousy and hatred in the eyes of those who spoke with such contempt.
The black-haired boy blinked his eyes.
One day, he happened to overhear his Instructor talking with a Colleague, through the conversation, he faintly heard his own name.
This kid is quite formidable," the middle-aged Instructor said. "He actually reminds me a bit of Gin from back in the day.
Gin—
The black-haired boy silently repeated this name in his heart.
A name that was both strange and familiar.
In truth, he didn't care what kind of person Gin was, because no matter what kind of person Gin was, he was far too distant for the youth at that time.
It was just that, occasionally, he would feel a sense of curiosity.
He had always been a standout among his peers, possessing a cold temperament that was not without its pride. Even though he had long heard of Gin, before meeting him, the Black-haired boy found it difficult to imagine exactly what kind of person Gin was.
"Reminds me a bit of Gin from back in the day"??
This simple comment, which could even be considered a compliment coming from anyone else, left the youth feeling somewhat displeased.
I am not his shadow.
A faint sense of defiance spread from the depths of his heart. This emotion arrived far too subtly, but for the habitually indifferent youth, it was truly a very novel experience.
This faint sense of curiosity and defiance persisted for a long time, long enough for the once frail youth to gradually grow into a handsome and tall assassin.
Sometimes, he still thinks of Gin.
Gin.. just what kind of person is he?
Before Everything had even begun, before the Black-haired boy realized it, even before the Youth had seen Gin even once—
—That man's name had already vaguely taken up a place in the youth's empty heart.
..
Volume 1: Part Six—
But at that time, the Black-haired boy's eyes were still indifferent.
His strike was steady and ruthless, as if he were not reaping a life, but simply completing a necessary piece of Work.
There was no reverence for life in his eyes.
His eyes reflected no one's silhouette.
Until Gin appeared.
..
Volume 1: Chapter 7—