Chapter 99 Chapter 99 "So you are my adopted son-in-law..."

100.

Although I had some guesses about it, when Rum called and said he wanted to see me and missed me, it really gave me goosebumps.

Rum and I do have a very good relationship, but that doesn't mean I can get used to him saying he misses me in such an intimate tone, especially when his next sentence is that the person who picks me up is on the way.

This sinister guy must have ulterior motives!

However, I had no choice but to go over and see what this old man Rum was up to.

After thinking about it, I was about to send a message to Gin to tell him that Rum was looking for me and the person who came to pick me up called. I hesitated and didn't send him a message.

The driver was a burly, expressionless man who looked like a robot. He opened the car door for me with the precision of a hotel doorman, and blinked at me as his dead eyes closed the door.

Well, it's someone I know.

Judging from his expression, it seems that Rum is not going to do anything cruel to me.

"Normally, they should draw the curtain and put a blindfold on you." The driver looked at me through the rearview mirror, his eyes expressionless and his tone flat, but not polite at all. "But..."

"But I'm a directionally challenged person, so there's no need to worry." The corners of my mouth twitched, and I leaned my head against the car window, falling into a deep sleep without any resistance.

When I was woken up, I found that the car was parked in front of a sushi restaurant that looked quite high-end. There were warm yellow lanterns, wooden sliding doors, and a waiter wearing a kimono and standing at the door with a respectful attitude.

Rum...meet at a sushi restaurant? The corners of my mouth twitched uncontrollably.

What on earth is Rum pushing for sushi? I'm so impressed. When will the world love me as much as Rum loves sushi?

The driver got out of the car, opened the door for me again, and led me to the sushi restaurant.

The decoration inside the store is also full of Japanese style, but there is no one inside. I don’t know whether it is not open for business or it is just a cover to satisfy my personal love of rum.

The waitress, dressed in an exquisite kimono, greeted me with a smile and bowed, and she and the driver led me to the restaurant. However, the two of them did not stop at any table or private room, but led me straight through the front hall and towards the kitchen.

At the end of the corridor for kitchen staff is an elevator that requires fingerprint verification.

The driver stretched out his finger and pressed the sensing area. With a soft "beep" sound, the elevator door opened. The waiter did not follow in. Only the driver guided me into the elevator. Then, the "-1" button in the elevator button area automatically lit up.

The elevator ran smoothly, and I could hardly feel the movement. Only a slight sense of weightlessness reminded me that we were descending.

When the elevator door opened again, a narrow corridor with pale light appeared before my eyes. The walls were made of cold metal, and the LED tubes above my head emitted a lifeless light.

The driver led the way silently in front. The corridor seemed to have no end. On both sides were tightly closed metal doors with no signs on them. It looked like a prison or some secret laboratory.

"Is this Rum's new secret base? I've checked in too." Although I felt vaguely uneasy, I still spoke out my inner complaints.

The driver chuckled and didn't answer me. Instead, he took me to a door and stopped.

"Lord Rum is waiting for you inside." The driver stepped aside and motioned for me to push the door.

I frowned and pushed the door open.

The door hinge turned, making a dull creaking sound.

The scene inside the door left me speechless...

A windowless room with bare walls and a one-way mirror. In the center of the room was a table and chair fixed to the ground. The chair was empty, but attached to its arms were... handcuffs.

Interrogation room, isn’t this an interrogation room?

Rum actually brought me to the interrogation room???

What? Gin didn't bring me into the interrogation room, but Rum did. What kind of crow's mouth do I have? I kept talking about the interrogation room with Gin all day, and now I'm actually in!

I began to regret not sending a message to Gin. Zhen, big brother, Gin, come and save me, Rum wants to interrogate me!!!

I turned around suddenly, wanting to ask the driver if he had taken me to the wrong place, and even more wanting to run away immediately. But as soon as I turned back, the door was quickly and decisively closed and locked by the driver who had never entered!

Oops, I got backstabbed. I shouldn't have let his wink trick me! I knew Rum wasn't a good person, but I didn't expect him to be assimilated.

"Open the door! Hey! Ito! Open the door! Rum asked you to bring me here? Let me out!" I rushed to the door and slammed the cold, hard metal door with all my strength. My palms hurt, but I kept slamming. "Open the door, open the door! If you have the guts to deal with me, open the door! Don't hide outside and keep silent! Open the door, open the door!"

There was deathly silence outside the door.

Apparently, no one.

Locked up...

I rolled my eyes and took out my phone, but the signal bar was still blank.

Fear, of course I was afraid. Being interrogated, locked up in a small dark room, who wouldn't be afraid? However, after the wave of fear passed, my emotions returned to normal along with my pale face.

Yes, I calmed down. As for why I calmed down...

I didn't contact Gin, but Gin will definitely come to save me!

I touched the necklace around my neck, nodded silently, and suddenly became perked up. I even felt like changing my posture from leaning against the door to visiting the interrogation room.

The room was small, nearly empty save for a fixed table and chairs in the center. The walls were smooth metal, with not a single crack to be found. The ceiling wasn't high, and aside from a camera with a red light in the corner and a few unassuming ventilation holes, there were no visible signs.

I walked to the chair and my fingers subconsciously touched the handcuffs. The feeling of metal immediately spread along my fingertips. I don't know why, but my whole body suddenly trembled.

At this moment, an extremely slight "sizzling" sound came from behind me, as if an electric current was passing through.

I subconsciously turned around.

The one-way mirror suddenly lit up without warning, transforming into a clear electronic screen. Two figures were clearly visible on the screen: the one-eyed, ugly man, Rum, and the incredibly handsome Gin, whose hands were tucked into the pockets of his black windbreaker, his posture erect but his face as cold as the Siberian permafrost.

What's going on? Could it be that Rum and Gin are interrogating me together? I frowned, then realized, no, this seems to be a live broadcast?

I saw Rum ask Gin, "Gin, Lei... no, Akai Shuichi, went to the bar to see Eiko before he rebelled. And from what I hear, their relationship seemed... to be going on well. Do you think it's possible that she knew Lei's identity and plans but kept them secret?"

Gin didn't even bother to lift his eyelids, and even let out a cold, undisguised sneer of disdain from his nose. His tone was cold and piercing with sarcasm: "A good relationship? What's good about it? Is it because of your deliberate matchmaking?"

Rum seemed deaf to the obvious sarcasm in Gin's words, his face showing no emotion at all. He continued in that terrifyingly steady tone, "Of course I believe in Yingzi's loyalty to the organization. There's no doubt about that. However, the necessary formalities must be followed. This is also to...completely clear her of any suspicion, isn't it? It will benefit you, her, and the organization."

"A formality?" Gin raised his eyebrows slightly, a cold arc forming on his thin lips. "If you follow that logic, Rum, aren't you even more suspicious? You were so 'optimistic' about Lei, spared no effort in 'cultivating' him, and entrusted him with so many important tasks... Who can be sure that this time you weren't worried about the operation failing, but rather that I might find some evidence against you, so you staged a self-directed 'cutting off your arm to survive' drama?"

Gin turned the tables and pointed the finger sharply at Rum, without disguising the questioning and provocative tone in his voice, and he placed extra emphasis on the pronunciation of "optimistic", "cultivate" and "cut off an arm to survive".

Rum's single eye seemed to narrow slightly, but his expression remained emotionless. Instead, he displayed an enigmatic smile. "Oh? You're saying that when I initially instructed Leydo to 'engage' with Yingzi and 'cultivate their relationship', I had ulterior motives. It was to give the FBI... a chance to acquire 'those abilities'?"

"Those abilities"? What abilities? I was completely bewildered, but my intuition told me this was definitely the key! Was it a secret I didn't even know existed?

Gin snorted in disbelief, neither admitting nor denying it, but his attitude clearly indicated that he agreed with Rum's speculation.

The smile on Rum's face deepened a little, with a hint of inquiry... as if he had discovered something interesting: "Are you jealous, or are you being possessive again?"

He paused, his tone becoming somewhat subtle, with a hint of something hard to describe… like an elder teasing, but also like some kind of test: "I just don't know when we can hear good news from you?"

Good news? What good news? Marriage? Discussing this in a place like this, with me in an interrogation room? Is Rum crazy?

Gin's expression didn't change at all, not even his eyes, as if Rum had simply asked about the weather. He simply replied indifferently, even with a hint of impatience, "I don't know when you became this old, so eager to force birth."

As expected of Gin, he actually… took “urging marriage” and directly or misinterpreted it as “urging childbirth”? With this interruption, I guess even Rum, no matter how gossipy he is, won’t continue.

Unexpectedly, Rum actually let out a few low laughs: "Haha... Not only me, but everyone in the organization, many people, are waiting to hear your 'good news'."

He deliberately emphasized the three words "good news".

Gin scoffed, his tone showing no sign of disguising his impatience, and even carrying a clear hint of leaving: "If you called me here today just to talk such meaningless nonsense, then there's no need to continue wasting each other's time."

Having said that, he turned and left.

"You want to leave," Rum's voice sounded slowly. It wasn't loud, but it carried an invisible and heavy sense of oppression that instantly enveloped the entire room. "Do you not want to be urged by me to complete the 'mission' assigned to you by the organization... or... do you not want to interrogate Yingzi?"

Gin paused, his steps having just begun. He turned his head and glanced at Rum from the corner of his eye. The coldness in his eyes almost froze the air. "I see... you're really getting old, and your mind is starting to get confused."

Rum didn't seem to mind his almost offensive attitude. He suddenly changed the subject, his tone becoming unusually formal and deep, with the assurance of a superior: "Gin, I know you've always had your own plans and pace. The organization, and the boss, believe that with your ability and loyalty, you will...complete the 'mission' assigned to you perfectly and live up to everyone's expectations."

A mission? Another mission? What kind of mission? Was it related to me? Was it related to those "abilities" Rum had just mentioned? I held my breath, my heart pounding, feeling as if I had touched the edge of a vast conspiracy.

...Is that okay? You're not flattering me, are you?

Gin didn't say anything else, without even a glance. He turned around and walked towards the door of the room, his hand already on the doorknob.

Just as he was about to open the door and leave, Rum's voice came from behind him again. This time, his tone was filled with pure curiosity, yet like a venomous snake spitting out its tongue, it carried a deadly temptation:

"However, before I leave, I'm very curious... Gin, can you tell me, are you truly attracted to Yingzi... or are you just putting on an act... to complete that 'mission'?"

Gin's back stiffened almost imperceptibly. Although it was extremely subtle, I still caught it in this tense atmosphere.

He didn't look back.

Not even the slightest hesitation.

He just replied in an extremely cold tone, with a hint of impatience at being pestered by boring questions:

"Is this important?"

Then, without hesitation, he opened the door and walked out, his figure completely disappearing from the screen.

Rum was the only one left on the screen. His sharp single eye was still looking in the direction where Gin had left, with an ambiguous expression on his face.

Then, Rum slowly turned around, facing the screen. His disguised face clearly filled most of the screen, his single eye accurately locked onto the camera's direction, and he gave me, on the other end of the camera, a smile that could be described as "kind."

However, that smile seemed extremely strange, scary and creepy in the context of his environment and the turbulent conversation just now.

His voice echoed clearly through the screen in the cold and silent interrogation room:

"Yingzi, what do you think?"

What do I think? I think you're all sick! Can the Riddler get out of Japan? I don't understand anything, but no matter how I listen to it, it feels like it's related to me...

The screen went dark and turned back into that bare one-way mirror, reflecting my frantic face dryly.

A few seconds later, the door of the interrogation room was opened from the outside.

The person who walked in was Rum himself, oh, and followed by two strong men in black. One of them even brought a chair over and placed it next to me.

"Are you scared, Yingzi?" Rum walked up to me, his tone carrying the almost kind concern of an elder that he always showed in front of me, but combined with his own personality, it seemed so fake no matter how you looked at it.

I didn't say anything, just looked at him warily, almost shouting "Don't come over here".

His cloudy, single eye scanned my face, seemingly satisfied with my forced composure. He waved his hand, and the two black-clad burly men retreated silently like robots receiving a command, closing the door again.

"Sit down, don't stand, let's talk." Rum took the lead and sat down on the interrogation chair. He was calm, as if it was his exclusive throne. It seemed as if he was hinting to me that he was not really prepared to handcuff me for interrogation.

I wanted to say "I won't do it" in a tough manner, but I didn't want to treat myself badly at any time, so I finally sat on the chair that Rum's people brought over.

He smiled and began to narrate. And what he said... well, it was a little hard to judge.

Rum told me I possessed a near-precognitive "intuition" that couldn't be fully explained by modern science, as well as an extraordinary affinity. Of course I knew this; I knew my intuition was sharp, and I knew I easily connected with people. I just hadn't considered that these abilities weren't innate... well, maybe they were innate, but inherited from my genes... descended from the bloodline of an old, displaced Italian Mafia family many generations ago.

The Black Organization didn't know how they discovered this, but years ago, they stumbled upon the discovery of special abilities within their members and became deeply intrigued. They invested significant resources in lengthy, secret experiments and verification, ultimately arriving at a crucial conclusion: this mysterious ability was extremely unstable, manifesting and being passed down to offspring only when the mother was willingly... and lovingly conceived.

Those who possess this ability and successfully pass it on will be given one of the organization's core code names - "Brandy".

However, tragedy struck my mother. While she was pregnant with me, she was targeted by a hostile force within the organization. Although she managed to survive, and I did too, the attack left me with congenital defects and extremely poor physical fitness. I was too weak to fight or carry out independent missions like the other codename members.

In order to preserve me, this extremely precious "seed" that is related to the future inheritance of "abilities", and to prevent the attacks my mother had experienced from happening again to me who has no ability to protect myself, the organization made a secret decision, which is to secretly mix me with a group of inconspicuous orphans and raise me under the secret monitoring and "nursing" of the organization.

They were like planting a delicate flower, patiently waiting for my physical indicators to gradually return to normal and reach the standard of being able to bear the burden of "inheritance".

It was not until I became an adult that I was officially "handed over" to the most ideal "father" whom the organization had long favored.

Well, the "father" carefully selected by the organization is Gin.

Because of his absolute loyalty, top-tier abilities, and near-inhuman physical prowess, the organization's top brass believed his superior genes could neutralize my abysmal physical condition, stemming from maternal trauma, thereby producing a stronger, more perfect offspring capable of consistently inheriting my special abilities.

It was simply because my various physical indicators, especially those related to fertility, hadn't fully reached the safety thresholds set by the organization. They were worried that I wouldn't be able to successfully withstand the enormous burden of pregnancy and the risks of childbirth. Furthermore, after research, they believed that I had to "truly fall in love" with Gin, and conceive in a willing and emotionally charged state, so that my ability could be maximized and stably passed on to future generations...

Therefore, this entire shocking conspiracy has been kept strictly secret until now, until Rum thought the time was ripe.

To be honest, I suddenly thought that Rum had turned into some kind of fan girl and started telling me about his latest production.

What the hell? Vongola blood? Super intuition? Codename Brandy?

Rum's tone really makes me feel like a reproductive machine in their eyes! Not a living person, but a carefully designed tool waiting to be hatched, with a clear purpose... a vessel carrying ancient bloodlines and the organization's ambitions.

Also, Gin is... the chosen "sire"? So, his seemingly special attention to me, his unreasonable tolerance... a secret I've been curious about and exploring for a long time, is actually due to... a mission from the organization? A plot to obtain stronger offspring?

Rum's all-seeing single eye stared at me, a shrewd and calculating light flickering in it, but strangely, there seemed to be a hint of...an indescribable, strange warmth similar to "kindness" mixed in the depths. These two completely different emotions intertwined together, making him look even more terrifying.

He leaned forward, his expression eager to learn. "According to the latest physical examination report and our ongoing evaluation, your physical indicators, after these years of... careful 'nursing', have basically reached the standard. But, Yingzi, tell me, what are your thoughts on Gin now?"

He actually asked me what I thought about gin at this time?

He seemed to think that was not enough, and added slowly, his tone as relaxed as if he was just discussing the dinner menu rather than deciding the fate of one, or two people.

Or perhaps, in his eyes, neither I nor Gin are considered human beings.

Or perhaps, in his opinion, having children has nothing to do with fate.

"You heard the conversation I had with Gin just now. He didn't admit his feelings for you, and his attitude... you saw it too. If you still like him and want him, then we will find a way to make him obey you and cooperate with the organization's mission."

My heart trembled.

I don't know why, but I suddenly understood the meaning of what he said when I tried to take advantage of Gin's drunkenness.

——"Don't think you can force me."

——"Don't think you can seduce me."

——"Don't think I have to obey all the orders of the organization."

So, what it means is that as long as I want, the Black Organization, who are eager to have my offspring, will really not be able to wait and will directly order Gin and force him to have a child with me?

What is this, hatred?

Seeing I didn't react, Rum actually started counting on his fingers, like he was introducing a product. "If you're tired of him and want to change your taste and experience something different, that makes sense. You're not pregnant yet, so maybe you don't like gin anymore... How about Binga? He's young and energetic. Although he has a bit of a bad temper, he always listens to you. Bourbon? He's smart, has a good brain, and his looks are also one of the best in the organization. Or do you have your eyes on someone else in the organization? As long as you like him, just nod and we can arrange it."

As he spoke, he even said, as if he had suddenly made up his mind: "Of course, if you still like Lei..."

I was furious when I saw him taking it for granted that he was selecting a breeding partner for me. The corners of my mouth twitched uncontrollably, and I practically squeezed out the words through my teeth: "I understand the logic, but could you please not show so blatantly that in your eyes I'm just a breeding machine? I'll be angry!"

When Rum heard this, he actually had an expression that was almost aggrieved and puzzled, as if my accusation had hurt him deeply. "Yingzi, why do you think that? How could you think that?"

He repeated, his tone filled with exaggerated helplessness, "If the organization only saw you as a reproductive machine, would we have treated you so well? Would we have given you so much freedom? Would we have allowed you to live so... freely within the organization until now?"

As he spoke, his tone became more emphatically clear, and a murky, watery glint even flickered in his single eye, almost to the point of satisfying his own performance: "I will absolutely not treat my niece as a cold, heartless reproductive machine!"

Niece?!

I immediately looked up, my pupils suddenly contracted, and stared at him in disbelief.

What is it? Rum, my uncle?

For a moment, I didn't know whether to lament that my initial suspicion that I might have some blood relationship with the Black Organization's top brass had come true, or whether to lament...

Oops, my blood is dirty!

Looking at the shock on my face that I couldn't conceal, as if I had been struck by lightning, Rum's eyes revealed an extremely complex emotion, a mixture of scrutiny, calculation, and the cold weighing of the top brass of the organization, but it seemed... there was also a hint of real, blood-thicker-than-water... warmth mixed in?

...I just said that he enjoyed acting, right?

"I just," he slowed down his tone, his voice becoming a little deeper, even sounding a little earnest, like an elder who truly cares about his juniors, "I want you to get what you really want. So which one do you like?"

...Okay, okay, now the truth is revealed, right?

101.

The afternoon sun is still bright, the streets are busy with cars and people, and the world is still running as noisy as usual.

My worldview was greatly refreshed as I walked out of the sushi restaurant and to the side of the road. A black Porsche 356A, which was so familiar that it couldn't be more familiar, slid silently in front of me and stopped precisely.

The car window rolled down, revealing Gin's angular profile.

He didn't look at me, didn't even turn his head, and just uttered two words lightly:

"Get in the car."

I looked at him intently for a while before opening the car door and sitting in the passenger seat.

There was a familiar smell inside the car, and a familiar person in the driver's seat. Everything about it once made me feel at ease, even obsessed.

As for now... I silently pulled the seat belt and buckled it with a "click".

The car started smoothly and merged silently into the endless stream of cars.

It was a long time, so long that I thought Gin would remain silent like this forever. Until we returned home, Gin finally spoke, his voice still low and no obvious emotion could be heard:

"How much did you hear?"

I pursed my lips and didn't answer immediately, but looked sideways at him.

I could see Gin's hands gripping the steering wheel... his knuckles turning slightly white from exertion, veins visible on the backs of his hands. The lines on his face grew colder and harder as I remained silent, and the air around us seemed to freeze into ice, filled with a suffocating low pressure.

Just as this suffocating silence was about to reach its climax and explode, I suddenly turned my head and looked at his tense profile...

Suddenly smiled.

"I heard—"

I deliberately drawled out my words, and was satisfied to see his brow furrow and his jawline tighten even more.

Then, I spoke word by word, with a tone as if announcing a major discovery, and said with a smile:

"So you are my adopted son-in-law!"

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The author has something to say: I won't be adding more chapters for now, because I'm too tired and may not be able to update tomorrow. So if I can update tomorrow, tomorrow's content will be considered an extra chapter. If not, whatever is added today will be updated tomorrow...

As if it weren't bad enough, my cat got injured. I just got home from the veterinary hospital at 4am this morning, slept for a few hours, and then immediately went back to work. I have to work for several days. I'm really exhausted...

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