The Exchange Between Bourbon and Gin

Furuya Rei sneered, "You think I'd let someone who's been spying on me join the Organization?"
His malice was utterly unconcealed. Gin listened to Bourbon's arrogant words.
"Perhaps he could be useful to the Organization." Gin felt that a talented individual could still be recruited. At worst, after gaining control, they could send him to a different location, keeping him away from Bourbon.
"If you want him to join, go recruit him on the yacht yourself." Furuya Rei threw his hands up, acting as if he wouldn't do it, and what could Gin do to him?
"But still," though Gin couldn't see it, Furuya Rei still flashed a wide, toothy grin, "You'll have to keep a close eye on him. Who knows, I might deal with him one day."
Neither Bourbon nor Furuya Rei would permit someone to secretly watch them within an organization, harboring intentions of a backstab.
Morofushi Hiromitsu, standing beside Gin, watched the silver-haired man fall silent for a long time after Furuya Rei spoke.
He repeatedly flicked his lighter open and shut.
His face was obscured beneath a black hat, his expression unreadable.
*Zero, you're too arrogant.*
Morofushi Hiromitsu thought to himself. Who would suspect that someone who completely disregarded Gin's mood was an informant?
What kind of "clean" informant would want to resort to violence at the slightest disagreement?
He could even imagine Furuya Rei's malicious expression as he uttered those words.
*As expected of Zero.*
A feeling of "my boy is so capable" welled up in Morofushi Hiromitsu's heart.
"Then suit yourself." Gin compromised. An individual whose future achievements were unknown certainly couldn't compare to Bourbon's importance within the Organization.
This world was not short of capable people. If any other Organization member dared to retort like that, their loyalty would have long been questioned.
But Bourbon was an exception. Perhaps it was precisely because Bourbon was so devotedly loyal to the Organization that he could speak so unrestrainedly.
However—
Bourbon's attitude still annoyed him.
"That kid who was being watched, don't you dare mess up. When you do, I'll send someone to collect your corpse." Gin mocked.
Furuya Rei let out a "haha," then suddenly cleared his throat, speaking in a particularly obnoxious tone, "I wouldn't dare trouble Lord Gin with such a trivial matter."
Morofushi Hiromitsu's blue cat-like eyes widened, clearly seeing Gin's smooth silver hair slightly fluff up.
Like a long-haired cat rubbed with static electricity, a few strands of long hair floated in the air.
"......" Morofushi Hiromitsu pinched his thigh with one hand, trying hard to suppress his laughter.
Who knew, Gin didn't seem to notice at all.
*Amazing, Zero, what exactly did you say?*
He really wanted to take a picture of this scene for Zero, but if he dared, he would surely be killed on the spot by Gin.
*Hold it in, Morofushi Hiromitsu, you must hold it in. Absolutely no laughing out loud.*
*Gin... was disgusted to the point of breaking.*
His hand tightened on the phone. He cautiously turned his head to look at Morofushi Hiromitsu beside him, who seemed oblivious.
His face still wore its usual gentle smile.
Seeing Gin glare at him, he even tilted his head slightly, feigning confusion.
Gin turned away, and Morofushi Hiromitsu's lips twitched violently a few times.
"Bourbon, if your mind's broken, I can take you to the Organization's lab for a little treatment when we get back." Gin's malice persisted.
"Don't be so stingy, Gin." Furuya Rei didn't continue to poke the tiger's beard. He transferred the photo he'd just taken on his phone to his tablet, then quickly sent Gin an email. "I'm being incredibly kind and bringing you a gift."
"I'm not blessed enough to enjoy it. Waiting to pick up your corpse is the best gift I'll receive." Gin said, then directly cut the call.
Morofushi Hiromitsu opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but his gaze fell on Gin, who was examining the new email, and he closed his mouth again.
"Speak if you have something to say." Gin looked at the pathetic photo of Doug that Bourbon had sent him, bit his cigarette, and a faint, unreadable curve appeared on his lips.
Morofushi Hiromitsu asked, "Is that really okay with Bourbon? He's still just a kid."
Gin glanced at the person who had almost been successfully brainwashed by Bourbon. Seeing his worried expression, and recalling how many times Scotch had mentioned Bourbon during the short time he'd been using him for missions.
"......" Gin took the cigarette out of his mouth, ignoring Morofushi Hiromitsu's question. He tossed Morofushi Hiromitsu's phone back to him, then pressed the button to roll up the Porsche's window.
The car window rose, blocking Morofushi Hiromitsu's view.
*Once this mission is done, I'll return Scotch to Bourbon. I'll never ask for anyone from Bourbon again.*
Gin thought expressionlessly.
Meanwhile, Furuya Rei, in his private cabin, set the disconnected phone aside.
Looking at the 123 interface, Gin's lowest favorability suddenly changed from around -300% to around -100%.
Although the highest favorability value remained unchanged.
But still—
Furuya Rei smiled, yet not quite, at the corner of his mouth, an expression that seemed to have seen through everything long ago.
*Gin, you say one thing but mean another.*
*If you like me, you can just say so.*
*Cough, cough.* Furuya Rei instantly reined in his expression. He couldn't be too smug, like a villain.
Regardless of what Gin was doing, his top priority now was to round up the group of culprits hiding on the yacht.
*Perhaps...*
Furuya Rei packed his belongings, removing the USB from his tablet. He could leave the downloaded documents on the computer for others to see; everything else was completely erased.
He put the laptop into his bag and slung it over his back.
His gaze fell on the cabin door.
*Are the culprits... waiting for me outside the door?*
The mysterious individual who had fought him on the deck earlier, though skilled, didn't seem very intelligent.
The one who had killed Hakusui Koichi earlier definitely wasn't him; he didn't have the brains for it.
It wasn't that Furuya Rei looked down on him, but ever since he'd snatched the opponent's claws, the mysterious individual had gone mad trying to retrieve them, showing he wasn't a calm person.
Moreover, whether it was the mechanism discovered when Hakusui Koichi was killed or in Akiya Wako's room, both required delicate hands to create.
Not something a person with claws on their hands could accomplish.
Furthermore, Furuya Rei had seen information from the documents.
Making him even more certain that this was a case involving accomplices.
Behind the mysterious individual, there was someone masterminding things, or perhaps even more people hidden.
On his way back to his room, Furuya Rei had already felt he was being watched.
That feeling, like a blade piercing his back, was too obvious.
At a glance, he knew it was some idiot who, after having his claws stolen, was unwilling to accept it and was now staring at him.
However, whether on the corridor or in the room, the opponent knew Furuya Rei would always maintain a high level of vigilance.
Someone who had suffered at Furuya Rei's hands, even if brainless, would have a wild animal's intuition and wouldn't attack Furuya Rei at this moment.
*When would be the best time?*
If it were Furuya Rei himself, he would attack the moment he stepped out the door.
That moment was when one was least vigilant.
Just like the trap set in Akiya Wako's room, if Furuya Rei hadn't heard the unusual sound with his keen ears at that time.
This culprit would have completed more than just a single murder.
And Kudo Shinichi and Kudo Yusaku.
*Hiss*, just thinking about it was terrifying.
He almost assassinated the future protagonist of this world. He wondered how this had played out in the original timeline.
*Hmm... According to the Organization's tradition, this yacht wouldn't have been unable to leave port from the start.*
Furuya Rei stood up, patting the wrinkles from his clothes.
Standing before the cabin door, one hand on the doorknob, the other holding a protective tool, he still cherished his small life when unnecessary.
He opened the door—
As the room door was still ajar, a dazzling light shone into Furuya Rei's eyes.
Despite being prepared, Furuya Rei instinctively closed his eyes, blinded by the light.
Following the sound of rushing wind, Furuya Rei instinctively leaned backward.
But, no attack followed immediately.
Furuya Rei braced himself against the doorframe, looking towards the direction of the "thump, thump" sound.
A mysterious individual wearing a kappa mask was held by the collar by Akai Shuichi with one hand and slammed against the wall.
"......"
Around the corner, the two Kudo father and son, one big and one small, were peeking at them.
Although he had predicted Kudo Yusaku would guess the truth that he was being watched by the culprit.
He also predicted Kudo Yusaku would guess that he wanted to deal with the culprit alone.
But still—
Akai Shuichi's appearance was not in his predictions.
It must be said, Akai Shuichi's involvement in this matter was completely inconsistent with what Furuya Rei understood about Akai Shuichi from the documents.
Furuya Rei felt that before Akai Shuichi infiltrated the Organization, he should have concealed his skills.
What he showed to the Organization should have only been his sniping technique.
Just like how he had used Miyano Akemi to show it in the plot.
Not like now, fighting so fiercely right before Furuya Rei's eyes.
*Hey, hey, this has already exceeded the standards of ordinary people! He looks much more formidable than I am currently.*
*Is Akai Shuichi going all out?*
Furuya Rei stood at his cabin door, looking at the pitiful kappa-masked mysterious individual being beaten by Akai Shuichi.
For a moment, he didn't know if he should step forward to help.
*Seriously, the scene from less than an hour ago is repeating itself. Am I the one who can't get involved now?*
Furuya Rei had just prepared to act when a whooshing sound came from the right.
Without time to turn his head, Furuya Rei threw his backpack towards the sound.
After two "thwack, thwack" sounds, two sharp arrows were embedded in the backpack, piercing the black bag.
"!!!" *My tablet!*
But there was no time for him to mourn the contents of his backpack.
A figure disappeared from the other end of the corridor. When Furuya Rei looked over, he could only catch a glimpse of a coat tail.
"Kudo-san." Furuya Rei called out, kicked his backpack, then chased after the fleeing person without looking back.
Akai Shuichi had just caught the mysterious individual and pinned him to the ground when the boy behind him disappeared to pursue another potential accomplice.
*What a boy who doesn't make one worry less.*
Seeing that Akai Shuichi had subdued the mysterious individual, Kudo Yusaku and Kudo Shinichi approached. Kudo Shinichi tore off the kappa mask of the mysterious individual with one hand, revealing a face half-destroyed beneath drenched hair.
Because he was caught and his true appearance was seen, he looked as if he wished he could bite the three people in front of him.
But, none of the three knew this man.
Akai Shuichi glanced at the two who were useless in a fight, looked around, entered Furuya Rei's still-open room, tore the bedsheet into strips, then tied the mysterious individual into a tight bundle, his arms and legs bent backward and bound tightly.
Ensuring the opponent couldn't move.
"I'll go after Amuro-kun. Kudo-san, please call Inspector Megure." After saying that, Akai Shuichi chased in the direction Furuya Rei had left.
Kudo Yusaku stood at the door, watching Akai Shuichi's retreating figure. His gaze fell on the backpack Furuya Rei had thrown to block the arrows, which was now pierced.
Thinking of the teenager's gaze towards him before leaving, Kudo Yusaku stepped forward, picked up the backpack, and opened it. Inside, there was a tablet sandwiched between the two arrows.
He turned on the screen; it was completely unlocked. It was probably Furuya Rei's intention for him to see this. Kudo Yusaku pondered for a moment, feeling he hadn't misread Furuya Rei's gaze, so he returned to the room and clicked on the sole icon on the tablet.
On the other side, Furuya Rei had caught up with the person who had shot the arrows at Akai Shuichi earlier.
He looked very short, half a head shorter than Furuya Rei, who was currently a middle school student.
But judging from his build, he wasn't female.
Seeing Furuya Rei pursue him, his fingers nimbly placed the crossbow on the floor, aiming it in Furuya Rei's direction.
"What a pity." Furuya Rei stepped out, smiling as he looked at the short man. *It's not the man Kudo Shinichi met.*
However, looking at those nimble hands, he thought of the mechanism on the ceiling when Hakusui Koichi died and the trap in Akiya Wako's room, which must have been made by the person in front of him.
"How many of those arrows do you think can hit me?" Furuya Rei completely disregarded the cold, gleaming metal arrow aimed at him, standing still opposite the short man. "I'd guess zero."
Furuya Rei tilted his head, provoking him.
Several veins immediately popped up on the short man's forehead. He quickly raised the crossbow's trigger and pressed it.
"!!!" Akai Shuichi, who had just arrived, witnessed this scene.
Just as he opened his mouth, Furuya Rei deftly dodged. The arrow, originally aimed at Furuya Rei, having lost its target, now aimed at the suddenly appearing Akai Shuichi.
"!!!" *Dodge, Furuya Rei! Why is this guy here? Shouldn't he be protecting Kudo Yusaku and the others? If they encountered other vicious criminals, what would a novelist and a child do?*
Akai Shuichi rolled awkwardly on the ground, dodging the arrow.
Looking at the arrow embedded in the iron door behind him, Akai Shuichi felt Furuya Rei's gaze on him and, for some reason, felt guilty.
*It seems... he bothered the boy.*
This kind of natural worry from the bottom of his heart sometimes made people overlook that the boy was actually very capable.
Although this was a rather friendly situation for the boy.
But often, it could really be a hindrance.
*Look, Akai Shuichi gave a forced smile, the boy is glaring at him again.*
*I always feel like this favorability rating is a bit off,* Furuya Rei pondered. *Akai Shuichi has done many things inconsistent with his own character.*
*123, are you glitching?*
【No, I'm not!】
【Please, great master, find the reason within yourself!】
123 angrily bounced around on the interface. *That troublesome great master, after learning the skills of the silver-haired, blue-eyed teenager, don't always hang around! If you want convenience, don't be afraid of trouble!*
*Alright...* Furuya Rei, who had intended to blame it, silently shifted his accusing gaze away.
The short man opposite, seeing that he had missed, was drawing another arrow from behind his back to reload.
Furuya Rei and Akai Shuichi charged out simultaneously.
Before the short man could react, he was hit by a punch to the face from one side and a kick to his crossbow-wielding hand from the other.
The man flew backward, hitting a pile of miscellaneous objects with a loud "thud," then rolled several times on the ground, his fate unknown.
"We work quite well together, don't we..." Akai Shuichi swallowed the words "little boy," looking at Furuya Rei beside him, smiling, "Amuro-kun?"
Furuya Rei walked past Akai Shuichi expressionlessly, heading towards where the man had fallen.
Akai Shuichi's expression changed. He looked down at Furuya Rei's shoe print left as he 'walked past' his foot.
The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily.
*How ruthless, boy. Where exactly did I anger you?*