Chapter 65 065 The Detectives

"In conclusion, these individuals are members of the Armed Detective Agency, which means they are local supporters in Yokohama."

Standing in the conference room, Balzac, his face showing undisguised fatigue, briefed the group of people who had gathered there.

Beside him stood Fukuzawa Yukichi, dressed in formal attire, with a serious expression; his mere presence exuded an aura of authority.

However, the two people beside him—Dazai Osamu with a bright smile and Edogawa Ranpo with a snack in his mouth—completely ruined this serious atmosphere.

Or rather, the fact that these two people seemed so casual made the seemingly normal Fukuzawa Yukichi appear odd, as if he were out of place.

"There should be additional support coming, namely the special armed force 'Hounds,' which will arrive in a while."

Balzac was mentally exhausted, extremely mentally exhausted.

He genuinely felt that there was no future in leading this team.

Hemingway and Kasimov, sent by the gatekeeper, were ostensibly there to assist in apprehending the criminals. However, their main purpose was simply to keep an eye on the inbound travelers and prevent them from causing trouble; they showed absolutely no desire to fight.

Or rather, faced with an organization like the UN that wasn't causing trouble in North America but was wreaking havoc in other (rival) regions, Balzac even suspected that Hemingway and his colleagues might have been specifically sent to help the UN escape.

The four people in the study were always reading or discussing books. They read everything from sociological classics to romance novels. Their atmosphere was so laid-back that they practically had "we're just here to make up the numbers" written all over their faces. It was impossible to tell if they were there to gang up on each other or to hold a book club.

Even within the ASA, only Balzac was doing a good job; the rest were either just waiting for orders or unreliable types like Sherlock Holmes.

As for local reinforcements, this Fukuzawa Yukichi seems alright, but the rest...

Balzac stared dead at Dazai Osamu and Edogawa Ranpo.

It feels like splitting a Sherlock Holmes into two parts and then amplifying each one. Based on his experience and Dr. Doyle's hair, I can guarantee that these two will definitely not stay still.

This alliance was so profound and deadly that it practically etched the words "unreliable" onto one's spine.

Balzac, maintaining a blank expression, turned to the people in the conference room.

That's the situation.

Hemingway gave a noncommittal snort, and Zhou Shuren turned his head slightly and nodded in understanding.

In the subordinate area, Xu Zhimo was whispering to Wan Jiabao (one-sided): "I guess they should have sent the hunting dogs directly. But since all the hunting dogs were beaten and sent to the hospital, they just hired a somewhat well-known organization to make up the numbers."

Wan Jiabao, who had once again stayed up all night reading novels, sat listlessly in his seat, not wanting to pay any attention to Xu Zhimo.

Unfortunately, even without a response, Xu Zhimo himself seemed quite happy.

"But it's alright, anyway, this kind of local aid is just for showing the way and stuff, there's no requirement for intensity or anything..."

Upon hearing Xu Zhimo's words, Zhou Shuren did not stop Xu Zhimo's impolite behavior as usual. Instead, he looked at Dazai Osamu, who was smiling broadly, and inexplicably felt that this was a new kind of cruel joke played by fate.

I just wanted to go through the motions and slack off, so why did this kind of thing suddenly appear out of nowhere? —by Zhou Shuren, who saw through Dazai Osamu's true nature at a glance.

After considering the damage to Yokohama and putting himself in others' shoes, Zhou Shuren had no expectations of being able to work (slack off) easily and happily.

Ah, so could we lock this guy up in the [Wandering] area until everything is over before releasing him? He clearly looks like a troublemaker...

If it weren't for the fact that as the team leader, Zhou Shuren should at least pay attention to his appearance, he would have rolled his eyes and given a deadpan look in a second.

Ugh, I'm getting busy. I don't have any legitimate reason to stop him from my current position, and I don't even know if it's too late to propose cracking down on intelligence brokers...

Unlike Zhou Shuren, who felt hopeless about slacking off, Holmes kept scanning Edogawa Ranpo with an expression of discovering something interesting.

"This is really interesting." With a pipe dangling from his lips but not lit, his eyes gleaming almost on a physical level, an excited smile that had caused Dr. Doyle considerable stomach pain gradually appeared on Holmes' face.

"Although I had guessed it before I came, I found it to be even more interesting than I imagined after I actually saw it."

Edogawa Ranpo, who was being scrutinized by Holmes, naturally noticed it and suddenly turned his head to look at Holmes.

After being discovered, Holmes did not try to cover it up. Instead, he calmly picked up his pipe, exhaled, and pointed to his eyes.

"Aren't you going to wear your glasses?"

Ranpo stared at Holmes in silence for a while, then pursed his lips.

"It's just a minor issue, not worth the trouble."

That's what he said, but Ranpo's tone was quite subtle, it was hard to tell whether it was displeasure or some other emotion.

Zhou Shuren, observing everything: Hmm, it feels like an introverted elementary school student who has finally found a kindred spirit.

With a broad smile, Dazai Osamu said: "Ranpo reacts like this, he looks like he'll be a tough opponent."

Balzac glanced at Edogawa Ranpo's subtle attitude, Dazai Osamu's beaming smile, Holmes' excited smile, and Zhou Shuren's dejected mood in the conference room, and felt his own digestive system, which he didn't possess, begin to ache faintly.

This is probably phantom limb pain; otherwise, how could I feel discomfort all the way from my esophagus to my intestines?

So why are there so many problem children among those with superpowers? They're so unfriendly to the administrators.

He subconsciously rubbed the area that should be the stomach, and the bones that make up Balzac's face began to twitch.

This group of people looks like they're about to do something big!