Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Only You Can't Be an Undercover

"Don't ever betray me, Zero."

Zero Zero, not Amuro Toru.

Olga knew that his name was not Amuro Toru. However, she did not know his name.

At least... "zero" is correct.

No matter who you are, no matter where you come from, no matter what your purpose is, never leave me, never betray me.

*

Olga told Amuro Toru many secrets of the organization in an almost casual manner. Perhaps it was the relaxation brought by revisiting the old place that made her completely lose her nerve called "vigilance".

"This entire institute is—?"

Facing Amuro Toru's question, Olga shook her head: "Only Amos is."

Only Dr. Amos worked for the organization with the Miyano couple, but it was only a collaboration - Amos never officially joined the organization.

According to the organization's style, Dr. Amos should have been executed after the Miyano couple died in the fire. However, for some reason, Dr. Amos was able to save his life.

"He's been working at this institute ever since." Olga's wrist had stopped bleeding. She examined the wound with a curious, inquiring look. "He's very tight-lipped and would never reveal any secrets."

Yes, if Dr. Amos hadn't kept his mouth shut, the organization would have made him disappear from this world long ago.

*

When Dr. Amos saw the wound on Olga's wrist, the anxiety on his face did not seem fake.

This is a biological research institute, so naturally, all the medicines and instruments needed for bandaging and treating wounds are available.

With the persuasion of Toru Amuro, Dr. Amos was able to take the reluctant Olga to treat her wounds.

In another lab, a young research assistant was applying medicine and bandaging Olga. Dr. Amos and Toru Amuro stood by the doorway, watching in silence.

Then, Dr. Amos suddenly spoke up: "I rarely see Christine care about someone this much."

Amuro turned to look at Dr. Amos and heard him continue, "When she looked at you, there was a smile in her eyes."

Amuro Toru was speechless. He looked back at Olga in the lab. The child, who had just been grimacing in pain, immediately gave him a standard eight-toothed grin when she noticed his gaze.

Toru Amuro couldn't help but curl up the corners of his lips.

Everything happened silently but naturally.

Dr. Amos saw all of this and finally sighed, "Treat this child well."

"I will," Amuro Toru said softly, as if answering Amos, but also as if speaking to himself.

*

Until Toru Amuro and Olga's backs disappeared from sight, Dr. Amos still stood at the door of the research institute for a long time, unable to come back to his senses.

He couldn't remember when it was, but it was about five or six years ago. He suddenly saw the child again at the door of the institute after many years.

It rained heavily that day.

It rarely rains in Southern California, especially such a downpour.

The child was standing in the heavy rain, with his chin raised, looking at him with his green eyes that seemed to be devoid of any human emotions.

He recognized the child almost immediately, this - the biggest mistake he had made in his life.

"Can I go in and take a look?"

He heard the child say this.

…

Since then, she has come here almost every year. She always comes alone.

…

Dr. Amos always felt guilty about Olga and thought he would spend his whole life regretting this mistake.

Every time Olga stayed in the laboratory, he would stand at the door and watch her quietly. She never spoke, not even with any extra expression, but just raised her head and stared at the culture tank with indifferent eyes.

She seemed to be looking at something extremely important, but also seemed to be just in a daze.

After a few hours, she will pass away quietly.

…

Dr. Amos tried to strike up a conversation with her, but ultimately only received bland responses.

Her mask became more and more perfect, and it was not difficult for her to talk to him freely. This made Amos almost think that she had opened her heart.

But she didn't. Never.

…

It was his mistake, Dr. Amos kept reminding himself.

Even the products of unethical experiments are just victims.

And now, he seemed to see hope for redemption.

…

I hope that child can be happy.

*

From the end of March to June, Dai Moroboshi, Rena Mizunashi, and Kagemitsu Morofushi stayed in Southern California, living under Olga's nose and occasionally carrying out missions from Champagne.

For some unknown reason, Vermouth never returned to New York, but stayed in San Diego despite Olga's dislike.

"If you stay any longer I'll charge you rent!"

One night, Vermouth was leaning on the balcony with a glass of Alsace wine in her hand. Olga, who happened to be looking at the stars on the balcony of her room, turned her head and saw her.

“Ah,” Vermouth slowly swirled her wine glass. “After all, the pocket money you used to buy this manor was given to you by me.”

Olga rolled her eyes. "That's the organization's funds. If you must count it that way, the 'pocket money' you gave me might have been earned by Gin's 'hard work'."

Vermouth laughed, which made Olga even more unhappy.

"Those two people seem to have a really good relationship." After a moment of silence, Vermouth suddenly said meaningfully.

Olga followed Vermouth's gaze and saw, as expected, Toru Amuro and Kagemitsu Morobushi. They were standing at the entrance to the manor, unloading something from a delivery pickup truck.

Yes, that familiar, gentle expression.

Olga looked at Toru Amuro from a distance. Although she couldn't see clearly due to the distance, she recognized the expression on his face almost at a glance.

She had seen him secretly many times before, when he was talking on the phone.

So... the person on the other end of the phone is Morufushi Kagemitsu?

"Arthas?" Vermouth's voice brought Olga back from her trance.

"What?"

Vermouth didn't seem to be holding a glass of red wine to drink. At least, Olga hadn't seen her take a sip since then.

She placed the crystal goblet on the narrow balcony railing, making a crisp "ding" sound.

"I was just thinking, if that man named Morobushi Kagemitsu has Bourbon's approval, he shouldn't be an undercover agent. In comparison, that man named Moroboshi Dai is more suspicious. Ah, of course, that guy Gin is the complete opposite of Bourbon. He said he thinks Moroboshi Dai--"

Obviously, Vermouth thought Bourbon was contributing to the organization's "undercover identification cause."

Olga didn't continue listening to Vermouth's analysis, which was almost distorted. Her thoughts wandered to what kind of terrifying image did Lingling hold in the eyes of the other members of the organization?

Olga couldn't help but laugh in her heart as she thought about it. She felt that... this disguised Zero was quite cute.

However, Olga replied nonchalantly after Vermouth finished her analysis: "Probably."

Olga is probably the only one in the organization who knows that "Morofushiki Kagemitsu and Amuro Toru were good friends before joining the organization."

But she couldn't say...

There was a dark look in Olga's eyes.

She couldn't say it.

She always thought that there was something wrong with Morobushi Kagemitsu, and that Amuro Toru——

Olga clenched her fingers against the railing, her knuckles turning white from the pressure. She told herself that Amuro Toru had promised she wasn't an undercover agent. And she believed everything he said.

Toru Amuro cannot be an undercover agent, so his friend Keimitsu Morifushi cannot be an undercover agent either...Olga hopes that her intuition is wrong this time.

"By the way, Rum is urging us again," Vermouth reminded.

Olga covered her ears with her hands, leaned forward and banged her head on the railing: "I'm so annoyed!"

“No matter what you think in your heart, but,” Vermouth finally drank the wine in the goblet. She said in a slow but serious tone, “Arthas, don’t openly disobey Rum.”

Olga naturally understood this. She sighed heavily and said, "I'll do it as soon as possible."

What could Rum possibly be urging Olga about? It was, of course, the fact that she hadn't completed the "Secondary Identification of Undercovers" mission for nearly three months.

Olga told Rum that she thought the three newcomers were undercover agents. Rum thought Olga was just evading the issue and asked her to re-investigate and find evidence.

Then...Olga was in a bad mood for nearly three months, not answering the phone or replying emails, and Rum could only contact Olga through Vermouth.

If the boss hadn't stopped him, the impatient Rum would have wanted to fly to Nanjia himself to teach Olga a lesson.

"Anyone can do this kind of thing." Olga muttered in dissatisfaction.

She even felt that as long as the organization conducted more stringent background checks when recruiting, there would be no need to conduct further investigations on new members.

"Ah, after all, not everyone can be like you and never make mistakes, Arthas." Vermouth turned her head and looked at Olga deeply.

The child ruffled his long hair, as if he was in a rage.

Although Arthas sometimes talks to himself and does things that make the boss need a quick-acting heart pill, he is almost born with a strong ability to detect lies.

Most of the more than 30 "rats" executed not long ago were found by her.

*

Even though it is the end of June, the night wind is still a little chilly.

Vermouth pushed down the hem of her black silk nightgown, which had been blown up by the summer breeze, and leaned against the railing to gaze at the night sky. The moon was very round today, and shooting stars streaked across the sky from time to time.

"Do you have a plan yet?"

Vermouth thought she knew Olga very well, so she made this judgment based on what she had just said.

Sure enough, she heard Olga hum twice, which was considered as her agreement.

After a while, it was Olga who took the initiative to speak: "I plan to go to Alaska."

"Eh?" Vermouth turned around and saw Olga looking up at the stars.

“——”

Olga outlined her plan. Vermouth didn't understand why she was so frank this time. The Olga of the past would never have been willing to let her know this.