As if an old friend had arrived.
..
Tenth Story
This batch of Newcomers seems to possess some kind of demonic charm; Heine has a faint sensation of undercurrents surging.
But none of that mattered. Even if this batch of Newcomers could turn the Black Organization upside down, Heine wouldn't care—as long as Sheila didn't participate.
—However, what he did not expect was that the Black Organization really did become "turned upside down" because of this group of people, whether directly or indirectly.
The three most noteworthy ones formed the famous Whisky Trio, it is said that Gin's hand was involved in their formation.
After marveling at Gin's eye for talent, Heine privately speculated that Gin's role in forming the Whisky Trio might very well have been driven by his own twisted sense of humor.
When he saw Rye, Heine was actually somewhat surprised. After all, he and Gin were truly similar in many respects.
And after witnessing the tacit understanding between the two during their mission, that sense of surprise grew even stronger.
“You two aren't long-lost brothers, are you?” This thought was better left unsaid, kept only within his mind.
As for the other half of the sentence, "Or perhaps soul mates?" there was even less need to say it aloud.
Heine felt that Moroboshi Dai was not a simple man, he felt that Gin had likely noticed this as well, but he had never asked.
And so, as time passed, the grudge between Gin and Rye persisted for several years, having personally witnessed many upheavals, Heine still remained uncertain whether Gin's special treatment of Rye was because he had early on sensed Rye's undercover identity.. or for some other reason.
By the way, Rye's real name is not Moroboshi Dai, but Akai Shuichi.
A Black-haired FBI agent.
It was even pulled out by Gin himself.
After the defection of Sherry and the death of Death, life finally returned to calm.
Or rather, it was another kind of undercurrent of turbulence.
Heine, who had been indirectly dragged onto the black side by Gin, felt quite depressed, but considering all the various circumstances, he wasn't actually at a disadvantage.
The one suffering the loss was the Black Organization.
Then, for various reasons, Heine set foot on the soil of Italy once again.
He stood on the bridge, gazing at the distant horizon where the sea and sky met, watching the seagulls flying in the sky, dialed the call to Gin.
As for Eighth Night?
Eighth Night, is it not the present moment?
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Author's Note: These two Side stories for Heine are supplements to previous Heine Side Stories, mainly providing background for the characters and covering some events during the blank periods that Gin did not mention in the text, from the perspective of a Bystander.
Chapter 227 Chapter 206 "I want it." Akai Shuichi cut..
There are many ways to "rescue" Vermouth, but if one wants to choose a method that both guarantees a high success rate and avoids self-exposure, there are not many.
Fortunately, there is considerable feasibility in this, not to mention that ICPO doesn't necessarily have to keep their eyes fixed solely on Vermouth.. There is still the possibility of cooperation between the personnel of both sides.
After all, politics is not always righteous and upright.
In the interval while Sheila was mediating, Gin naturally kept an eye on the developments in Italy.
Previously, Borse had already led a group of people to arrive in Italy. Although the customs and traditions of the two countries are vastly different, the leader is experienced, his subordinates are all elites, with an ability to adapt that far exceeds the average.
Now, they have already begun to integrate into the Black side in Italy; as for whether they can take root here, it remains to be seen how things develop in the future.
Before that, the exchange of Intelligence becomes particularly important.
Modern technology is evolving day by day, serving both the masses and the elite. Often, a single phone call, an encrypted email, or even some faxes and photos can deliver sufficiently effective messages within just a few minutes.
After joining Heine's crew, Gin had already discussed future routes and development with Heine. Of course, detailed analysis would have to wait until they arrived in Italy for targeted implementation, but both men already had their own calculations regarding the general Target in mind.
Gin tilted his head slightly, leaning against the dark brown leather sofa, his silver hair falling over his forehead, partially obscuring his face. His gaze fixed indifferently on the information in his hands.
The printed Files were clear enough, Gin's gaze focused on the keywords. After a long while, he silently closed his eyes.
He attempted to sketch out a diagram in his mind.
Just as he was connecting another corresponding line in his mind, the sound of footsteps from behind interrupted Gin's train of thought. His eyelid twitched, only after a few seconds did he slowly open his eyes, turning his head to face the newcomer.
It was Akai Shuichi.
Gin naturally left a seat for him. "Is the matter resolved?"
In recent days, following the downfall of Vermouth and Rum, the Japanese Public Security has reaped significant gains. By following the clues, many Black Organization members have been caught, including several Cadres. Almost everyone is incredibly busy, working non-stop between interrogations and responding to calls, while also having to maintain social security, leading to a massive increase in work pressure.
As for the Black Organization, panic was widespread, everyone was on edge. As far as Gin knew, the situation in many areas was on the verge of losing control, with several large-scale bloody battles having already occurred, even affecting civilians.
Only Gin and his group were able to remain detached, sitting like mountains and watching the tigers fight.
Akai Shuichi was certainly busy as well, so busy that he hadn't been seen for several days. Of course, if Gin wished, he could still find him.
"Not yet." Akai Shuichi was clearly also quite troubled by the rapid developments of these past few days. The dark circles under his eyes were particularly prominent, his blue eyes were tinged with a faint blood-red hue.
Akai sat down beside Gin, his handsome face tinged with a rare hint of exhaustion: "But not much longer."
The Black-haired agent spoke these words without any apparent hesitation.
Although Gin was a former core member of the Black Organization, he had long since left—or rather, betrayed—the Black Organization. As for Gin himself, while he did not entirely lack emotion toward the Black Organization, it was not enough to affect his judgment.
Soon?" The Silver-haired man chewed on the word playfully, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "Once this is over, I expect there will be a new mission, right?
Akai Shuichi nodded and poured himself a cup of black tea. "That's right, but—that's no longer my concern."
.." Gin paused for a few seconds before reacting, "The FBI is returning to the USA?
The FBI's focus has always been on the USA. Given the relationship between the USA and Japan—as you all know—intervening in certain matters wouldn't be cause for alarm, but since they have already seized the Black Organization's lifeline, returning home to handle their own affairs is even more important.
They don't plan on being free labor for the Japanese Public Security, okay?!
Besides, the Black Organization has influence within the USA as well.. wouldn't it be good to wipe them all out at once?
Gin nodded thoughtfully.
The Black-haired agent had clearly also noticed Gin's thinking. He cast a glance at the Files in Gin's hands and asked as if casually, "Have you been busy lately too?"
Gin snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head. "Not really."
His Finger tapped lightly against his knee, his thoughts drifting far away.
“I will be going to Italy later; I want to learn about the situation there beforehand,” the Silver-haired man said, hiding nothing.
He didn't seem to have many feelings regarding the subsequent parting, which caused Akai Shuichi to feel a faint sense of irritation.
That trace of irritation drifted through the Black-haired agent's heart, causing him to frown. However, before he could react, a slight coolness suddenly touched her forehead.
Akai looked up, the silver-haired man was lifting his right hand to place it on his forehead, his expression appearing somewhat puzzled.
It seems you don't have a fever.
Gin dropped such a sentence, but he did not withdraw his hand. He slid his hand down the Black-haired agent's skin, his finger bones pressing against the area near the other man's temple, as his thumb searched Akai's eyes with light, rhythmic pressure.
The hands that had held guns and blades for many years had a thin layer of calluses, a slight roughness could be felt when stroking the skin; however, in this moment and under these circumstances, it felt as if a tiny electric current was stimulating one's nerves.
Akai Shuichi raised his hand to grasp the wrist of the person in front of him, staring at him intently.
Gin did not struggle.
She tilted her head slightly, a strand of long hair slid down her front with the movement, but it drew no attention.
"You don't look very well." Gin grabbed Akai Shuichi's wrist with his other hand, pinning it against the Sofa.
“..”
Gin raised an eyebrow. "Do you need to rest?"
Akai glanced at the two sets of hands overlapping each other, a sudden sense of helplessness surged in his heart. He looked at Gin's cold face and sighed with a hint of helplessness.
The Black-haired agent made a compromise: "Of course."
However—
“The FBI has a meeting this afternoon.” Akai Shuichi curled his lip corner, his expression carrying a hint of laziness. “Please call for me in two hours.”
He had to get some interest after all.
This time, Gin agreed quite readily.
..
The clock on the Living room wall hung directly above the LCD TV, its second hand ticking along, driving the slightly shorter minute hand. Time flies, just like the increasingly bright Sunlight outside the window.
After reviewing the Files, Gin saw that it wasn't time yet, so he simply played a game for a while to pass the time.
His micro-management was incredible, his judgment was calm and decisive; playing ranked matches was child's play for him. If he encountered a good teammate, it would be an absolute slaughter; if he encountered an unreliable Salted fish, he could still carry the whole game.
He set his mobile phone to silent.
The lack of sound effects diminished the Player's gaming experience, while the special effects on the screen were as cool as ever, Gin hadn't been taking it seriously to begin with.
Two hours passed by in a flash. Gin had just finished the match he was playing and exited the game.
He lowered his head and looked at the sleeping Akai Shuichi.
The Black-haired agent had his eyes covered by a blindfold to block out the light, his head tilted slightly as he curled up on the sofa. He was naturally tall and long-limbed, now, being 'trapped' on the sofa, he actually looked somewhat aggrieved.
Gin found it somewhat amusing, even felt a hint of playfulness rising within him.
He reached out his hand and pressed it against the Black-haired agent's collarbone, applying a bit more pressure.
Akai Shuichi stirred slightly, but he still did not wake up.
A slight curve formed at the corner of Gin's lips as he pressed his hand against Akai's shoulder, giving him a gentle push. "Time's up."
The Black-haired agent's brow furrowed slightly, a few seconds later, his Finger moved.
..
When Akai Shuichi woke up, he only then belatedly felt a faint sense of dizziness.
Sometimes, when you are straining your nerves and devoting your whole heart and soul to a task, you do not feel any fatigue; but the moment you take a brief rest, the exhaustion rushes in.
Akai Shuichi was well-versed in this experience and did not find it strange.