I hope winter break comes soon! Once winter break arrives, I'll have time.
I estimate that the side story for the previous Chapter 100 will undergo a major revision—the kind involving complete deletions. If there are any tropes you all want to see, feel free to suggest them.
If no one mentions it, I'll probably write a Parallel World IF. In that world, Gin is the adopted son of an original KGB agent, the Organization is researching something other than drugs (the specifics will be written later). It will be a single installment of about eight to nine thousand words, the original content will be moved to the author's notes.
Finally, I wish everyone a Happy New Year's Day holiday.
Let's do a lucky draw.. It seems I haven't done a lucky draw before.
..
Thanks to the Little Angels who voted for me with Overlord Tickets or provided Nutrient Solution between 2021-10-07 15:51:33 and 2022-01-03 20:58:56~
Thank you to the Little Angel who threw a landmine: Itadori Yuta 1;
Thanks to the Little Angels who provided Nutrient Solution: 53060821 (21 bottles); Morin (10 bottles); Lada Dahao, Yaosui Jiaojiao You, Dark Erosion (5 bottles each); Mi Ma (1 bottle);
Thank you all so much for your support, I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 241: Chapter 220 "Then—" Black-haired agent..
Vermouth's successful "escape" from legal punishment caused quite a stir.
Due to the public identities of Sharon Wynyard and Chris Wynyard, the fact that the Thousand-faced Witch herself had countless connections to human experimentation, the related trial was conducted so low-key that most of the general public did not notice that this international star had encountered an "unjust calamity."
But to those who knew the inside story, it was not that simple.
The FBI and Japanese Public Security were clearly dissatisfied with this; both were massive, national-level departments, the latter was operating on home turf. Following the trail, it was not difficult to guess that the ICPO had its hand in the series of events involving Vermouth.
But the ICPO agents stationed in Japan were also hardliners, completely adopting a stance of "a dead pig won't be scalded by hot water"—anyway, the advantage was on their side, so they wouldn't listen, they wouldn't listen, they wouldn't listen!
It seemed they had all learned a classic culture from a certain Eastern powerhouse—Tai Chi.
The Japanese Public Security side was easy to fool; even though Amuro Tooru was dissatisfied with it, the high-level members generally believed that "harmony is precious." As for the FBI, although it backed the USA, the department had always handled domestic US affairs, since the personnel sent on this mission were all using tourist visas, Aurora dismissed them with a few words.
On the contrary, the CIA was quite difficult to deal with, but since the CIA had not sent many people to handle the Black Organization, the undercover Hondo Emi had already had her cover blown in front of Gin.
In short, I have no idea how the ICPO negotiated, but everything has remained calm.
Being part of different factions, compromise and the division of interests are often inevitable.
After Cavendish Vermouth was released, Akai Shuichi's heart sank slightly. He was not some green, naive youth with nothing but hot blood; as an FBI Ace Agent, he was equally well-versed in the exchange of interests within the gray areas.
Having a faint foreboding about everything, Akai Shuichi exchanged information with the ICPO agent before looking up with raised eyebrows at the composed Gin: "You again?"
Compared to reproach and dissatisfaction, his tone held more certainty and helplessness.
Gin lazily changed the channel with the remote, looking up against the background noise of the weather forecast, confirming Akai Shuichi's thought: "You guessed right."
In fact, at most, he only served as a bridge between the two sides, that was exactly what Akai Shuichi had asked about.
An answer as expected.
The FBI elite really wanted to ask his nemesis why he kept finding ways to cause trouble for himself even while staying at home every day. His green eyes stared at Gin for a long while, but in the end, he simply sat beside him, following Gin's gaze, asked nonchalantly, "When?"
Gin gave a small smile.
.. Ah," he replied slowly, "When you didn't know?
The lights in the living room were not blinding, but they reflected everything in the surroundings with exceptional clarity. The white light spilled over Gin's pale face, making his green eyes appear even more piercing.
He curled his lips and looked at Akai Shuichi with interest, revealing a rare, gentle demeanor.
Akai Shuichi casually picked up a strand of Gin's silver hair that had fallen, winding it several times around his left fingers: "Can't say it?"
It wasn't that he couldn't say it.
But Gin was not in the habit of giving Akai Shuichi the answer directly—or rather, others could, but Akai Shuichi could not.
How strange.
Whether it was due to some unique unspoken understanding between the two, a second before Gin could answer, Akai Shuichi directly interrupted the potential conversation: "Forget it.. I'll find the answer."
Even now, with his attitude softened and having admitted that the other was someone he cared about, certain ways of interacting shaped by their respective personalities.. had indeed remained unchanged.
For some reason, Gin was suddenly somewhat happy.
He tilted his head slightly, with a half-smile: "So—you lost this time?"
It wasn't actually a match, but that didn't stop Gin from casually defining it as one.
Anyway, Akai Shuichi wouldn't care either.
The FBI Ace Agent narrowed his eyes.
His face was cold and handsome, his temperament was quite intimidating. Whether it was Rye from the Black Organization or Akai Shuichi of the FBI, neither was someone to be trifled with.
Facing Akai Shuichi's gaze, which felt like both appraisal and scrutiny, Gin did not care in the slightest. The silver-haired killer quietly waited for the man opposite him to approach, then whispered in his ear, "You win this time."
Akai Shuichi curled his lips, as if saying a piece of intimate sweet talk, yet as if issuing a sharp, blatant challenge.
I'll catch you sooner or later.
Whoa.
Gin blinked.
The green eyes, which were usually cold and devoid of emotion, lit up, making Gin's expression appear much more vivid.
The Silver-haired killer licked his lips and smiled, "You can certainly try."
They were so close to each other that they could almost feel the temperature of each other's skin.
Akai Shuichi withdrew his fingers, the silver hair entwined around his fingertips fell through the air.
He looked at Gin and suddenly spoke, "You said before that I guessed correctly."
A declarative sentence.
Gin pressed his forehead against Akai Shuichi's, silently gripping the back of his neck and slowly repeating his previous words: "You guessed right."
In the shadows, an ambiguous atmosphere, mixed with a sense of mutual hostility, seemed to linger between the two.
So—" the Black-haired agent smiled slowly, "What about the reward?
The reward is a kiss.
For one side—
The hand gripping the other's nape slid upward along the muscles, fingers sinking into the other's black hair; with a slight squeeze of the fingertips, the strands were caught in the palm, bringing threads of pain to the owner.
For the other person—
With hands calloused from gunfire, he once again wound the other's silver hair around his fingers; the moonlight-like silver was captured in his palm, sliding and intertwining with his movements.
Tacit, silent, profound—
A kiss with a hint of bloodiness.
..
Aside from the negotiations between the various factions of the Red side—as well as certain people's private communications—there was also a small group of people who were quite unwilling with Vermouth's release.
For example, Kudo Shinichi.
The high school detective is a person with a strong sense of justice; he respects life, is highly curious, has sympathy for the weak.. He possesses many wonderful qualities.
His world is clearly divided into black and white.
Vermouth seemed to have an inexplicable favoritism toward him, which often left Kudo Shinichi feeling confused, even caused him to have complex feelings toward Vermouth.
But now, this almost reckless release felt more like a violation of the law, truly leaving Kudo Shinichi in a state of confusion.
The adult world is indeed not friendly to such naive little brats.
If it weren't for you and the ICPO—" Akai Shuichi sneered at Gin's assessment, "Vermouth wouldn't have escaped so easily, would she?
Gin sneered in retaliation, "If it were you—would you use Vermouth as a bargaining chip to gain even greater interests?"
Akai Shuichi fell silent for a moment.
The answer was self-evident.
Seeing this, Gin rolled his eyes, his expression indifferent: "The ICPO is merely one step ahead."
For the Silver-haired killer, although he didn't have much affection for the ICPO in his heart, compared to the FBI, CIA, other organizations he had been dealing with for a long time..
Tsk, he doesn't like any of them.
He couldn't help but complain, "You people are all hiding your own ulterior motives; the way you fight openly and covertly isn't necessarily any better than the Black Organization."
In a sense, it was the truth.
If it weren't for the Red side's own schemes and their absolute refusal to share information, the progress of overthrowing the Black Organization would have certainly accelerated significantly.
But whether it was Gin or Akai Shuichi, both knew in their hearts that this was unavoidable.
After all, for agents from different agencies, or even different countries, besides wanting to overthrow the Black Organization, their needs are not necessarily aligned.
Even the FBI and CIA, which both belong to the USA, are in competition with each other. In fact, there have been many historical incidents where they intercepted each other's intelligence.
Not to mention different countries.
For a nation, especially a sovereign state, whether foreign agents or an illegal organization hidden within its own borders poses a greater threat.. is still a matter that requires careful weighing.
Just as Gin complained before, despite how irritable Amuro Tooru currently acts toward the FBI led by Akai Shuichi, if you replaced Amuro Tooru with Sheila and changed the home field as well.. Sheila would probably be even more explosive than Amuro Tooru.
Maybe they would just deport the FBI and the CIA altogether.
—Of course, Sheila's homeland has much better laws and public security, its national sovereignty is inviolable.
Akai Shuichi might not be unaware of this, but due to the differing stances of both sides, he raised an eyebrow: "There is quite a bit of intrigue within the Organization, isn't there? And there is also a group of people whose goals are aligned."
The "group of people" he referred to was, of course, the undercover agents lurking within the Organization.
Their goal was the same: to bring down the Organization.
Gin..
How should I put it, he also felt that the number of undercover agents in the Black Organization was incredibly ridiculous.
However, he was not to be outdone and mocked him directly, "Although there are many traitors in the Organization, what right do the undercover agents who have been caught have to say that?"
This time, it was Akai Shuichi's turn to be speechless.