Chapter 508

The waiter went into the kitchen with a gloomy expression, while Rum was busy editing an email for Vermouth to find out what was going on.

Upon discovering that the newcomer was slacking off, a waiter who had arrived at the sushi restaurant even earlier than Rum couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.

"Life's circumstances are truly unpredictable. Some people spend the first half of their lives in vain, still working as waiters even at an advanced age, but that doesn't stop them from encountering benefactors who care about them!"

Rum: "...???"

What kind of nonsense is this?

Forget it, what these minor characters think is never within his consideration.

Rum then continued editing the email.

Rum didn't respond, but that didn't stop the waiter from continuing his sarcastic remarks, even embellishing the story based on his own understanding: "I just heard that because someone was so hesitant to accept a tip, the customer felt bad and worried that he might have made the person uncomfortable, so he thoughtfully called a foreigner to help prove that giving a tip is normal... Sigh, when will I ever meet a customer like that?"

Morofushi Kagemitsu, who could hear it, thought: "???"

Rum, speechless: "???"

What the heck? Does Pottnis care so much about what others think of him?

Why do people in organizations disregard the lives of others?

A balanced diet with both meat and vegetables is more nutritious, right?

For a moment, Rum suspected that Potts was acting.

I knew who he was a long time ago, but I pretended not to recognize him, deliberately brought people to watch the show, deliberately made him talk so much, and deliberately insisted on giving him a tip to humiliate him.

But thinking back to when Potts first came, the reason he was made to say so much seemed quite legitimate. It was because his voice sounded familiar but he couldn't quite place it, which fit the impression that Potts liked to make things difficult for people.

Then, because of his own excuse yesterday that Japanese people don't have the habit of tipping, it probably touched a nerve with Potts again, as he can't stand being refused. So he brought Vermouth, this foreigner, along. Logically, that makes sense...

However, what makes sense logically may not be the truth, especially since Rum realized that his way of thinking was actually inclined to avoid provoking Potts, which meant his starting point was problematic, and his conclusions could not be entirely trusted.

Rum thought about it for a moment and concluded that if Potts brought people to "visit" again tomorrow, then it was definitely just for show! He wouldn't hold back then!

As for today...

I should just be patient. I only got the job a few days ago, and I haven't even met Kogoro Mouri yet. If I get fired because I exposed Potts, or if Potts really didn't know and is now acting recklessly because of the exposure, I'll feel like I've lost out.

So Rum endured the humiliation and served another round of dishes and introductions.

He noticed that every time he spoke, Potts' expression would become more serious, his eyes would become slightly unfocused, and his hands would pause. These details indicated that Potts was genuinely trying to listen to him.

On the contrary, Vermouth, who knew who he was at first glance, seemed absent-minded.

This comparison made Rum's heart tip in his favor that Potts really hadn't recognized him yet.

As expected, anything related to Potts is troublesome!

He knew Potts often came to Bourbon's place to freeload meals, but at the time he didn't think it would affect him... Damn it! Why did it turn out like this!

Thinking back on what I found out from Bourbon later, it seems that Bourbon accompanied the little girl from the Mori family to some band practice room and didn't cook for Potts, causing Potts to make a wasted trip to his sushi restaurant!

It's all Bourbon's fault!

Rum secretly made a note of it to his men.

Vermouth had this meal with Potness and tentatively gave Rum a tip.

Rum thought to himself that this time he would accept the invitation happily and see if Potts would have any other excuse to come again!

He then flashed a professional smile and said, "Thank you, sir."

"Why wasn't your attitude the same when I gave it to you..." Potts said quietly.

In his attempt to test the waters, Rum demonstrated both flexibility and humility: "I've realized my mistake. The boss is right. My refusal only hurt the customer's desire to make amends, making them feel even more guilty..."

Potts' expression softened a bit, and he said magnanimously, "It's good that you know."

Rum: "..."

You're too kind.

But this time the flavor was finally right... No matter how well he pretended, Potts was essentially a capricious brat.

Now we're just waiting for Vermouth's reply and seeing what happens tomorrow.

Vermouth followed Usui Saiki out and took a taxi to Usui Saiki's house.

Ignoring the bizarre style of Usui's house, she sat down on the sofa and got straight to the point: "You don't need to specifically ask me for this kind of favor, do you? Bourbon looks quite mixed-race, so why don't you just have him help prove that foreigners like to tip?"

“Bourbon left early yesterday,” Bo Yezai replied. “Besides, he’s his boss, so he probably wouldn’t dare.”

Vermouth: "...So you knew it was Rum after all."

Usoppei smiled.

This time, it wasn't the feigned shy smile from before, but a provocative one tinged with mischievousness: "Yeah, Rum's probably asking you about it too, are you going to tell him?"

Suspicion System: [Does he really need to ask about this? Does Rum overestimate his ability to conceal his identity?]

Undercover System: [After all, recognizing someone with a voice you've never seen or heard before at a glance is something most people can't imagine, especially since the host's acting is excellent. She's been attentively listening to Rum, as if her purpose in doing all this is to discern something from his voice, and she hasn't yet found the answer. These are all distractions.]

Suspicion value system: [...]

It gets upset whenever it hears someone say that Saiki Usaba is a good actor.

I feel like I've been terribly scammed.

Vermouth took out her phone, glanced at it, and then put it back on her lap: "What do you want me to do?"

Usoppai blinked: "Huh? You and Rum have such a bad relationship?"

Vermouth snorted: "Anyway, it's not exactly good. I'd be happy if you could make him suffer."

Besides, Rum is probably investigating the Kudo and Mori families right now! If Usuiba Saiki can get something into Rum's life and stop the investigation, and keep him away from those two families, what's wrong with her cooperating with Usuiba Saiki?

Bo Ye Zaiji laughed: "That's good. My current persona is that I always feel like his voice sounds familiar, but I haven't realized that he's Rum yet. Just follow that and see how he asks questions. You can make it up."

What if he asks you why you're so insistent on tipping?

"Because I made him explain for an hour on the first day, and Bourbon once said that when ordinary people trouble others, they should apologize or give gifts to compensate. I'm not good at doing that kind of thing, so it's normal to use a tip to get around it, right?"

Vermouth was speechless.

She didn't want to delve into what Bourbon had gone through to say such things... and then be dragged out and used to criticize him years later.

However, she understood what Bo Ye Saiki meant.

So Vermouth started editing the email in front of Saiki Usaba, and then asked, "Who are you planning to invite to see Rum's joke next?"

“That’s it. You’re the last one.” Bo Yezaiji pondered. “Too much of a good thing is bad. Let Rum stay here in peace for a while.”

Vermouth sighed and tentatively said, "If you acted more like a normal person, you would have been promoted long ago."

“I’m not interested,” said Bo Yezai sincerely. “My dream is to be able to quit and still have someone support me. I’m fine as I am now.”

Vermouth: "…………"

Indeed, considering that she herself had to risk her life to go on missions and do work, while Bo Yezaki did nothing and could enjoy the treatment of a superior person by occasionally sending some gifts to the Middle East and making a phone call, if it were her, she wouldn't want to work hard either.

Vermouth, filled with envy and jealousy, typed even harder before showing the email she had edited to Usakata Saiki: "That's it, shall I send it?"

"Send it." Bo Yezaki glanced at it and nodded in satisfaction. "I should report to the Boss now."

Vermouth: "...?"

Huh? You have to report to the boss about everything you do with rum? What's the point? Aren't you already making a fool of yourself in the boss's eyes?

Vermouth didn't understand, and Usui Saiki didn't intend for her to understand either, so he simply saw her out.

After seeing the guests off, he began composing an email for his boss.

[Boss, I went to eat sushi as usual, and deliberately asked Rum to bring me extra plates several times. I ate there for three days in a row, and I'm getting a little tired of sushi, but he hasn't reacted at all. Is he planning something big? When Rum dealt with his own people in the organization before, besides framing them as undercover agents like Gin, what other methods did he use? Could you tell me about them? I need to prepare.]

Organization Boss: "…………"

No, how can someone justify deliberately tormenting others so confidently!

Besides, since you already know you're offending someone, then don't go around trying to get close to them...

It felt like everything else was just a side dish; all Bordenis really wanted to say was those few lines about putting Rum in a bad mood... and he didn't forget his roots, even remembering to mention Gin at this point...

However, the topic of how Rum eliminated dissidents actually piqued the Boss's interest.

Over the years, he had been secretly wary of Rum, because Rum was relatively young compared to him and had accumulated a considerable network of connections. Rum's people were not loyal to him, probably because they thought that if he died, Rum could take over...

Even though Boss knew that Potts was blatantly making snide remarks, he couldn't help but point out that Potts's remarks were genuinely painful, and Boss's dissatisfaction with Rum resurfaced.

If Rum dies...

No, the organization will be in turmoil. His body can't handle it, and there are too few people he can completely trust. It's a headache.

Rationally, the Boss thinks it's better for the organization if Rum is alive, but what if Rum really dies someday...?

He probably won't have any regrets.

--------------------

These past few chapters have laid the groundwork, so I guess you all know what kind of plot I'm going to write...

Yes, Rum will die...

But not soon; he needs to live a little longer.

.

The conflict between Rum and the boss can be seen in the movie *The Shadow of the Black Iron*, where the boss's people are destroying the age-insensitive facial recognition technology, but Rum wants to get his hands on it.