Infiltrating and failing

Meanwhile, Shiho Miyano, one of the main characters in the conversation, looked at Nagaru Tsurumi with a headache.

Ever since bringing him back to the research institute, she realized she had taken on a hot potato. However, Tsurumi Kawaru's attitude was very good, and he was very cooperative in doing whatever she was asked to do, which made it impossible for Miyano Shiho to be unfriendly.

He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up to see Tsurumi Kawa reaching for the next bowl of tonkotsu ramen. There were seven or eight large bowls stacked on the table beside him, the soup in them all gone, and they looked like they were going to keep stacking up.

Shiho Miyano recalled the first time she saw him eating, her lips twitched, and her crescent-shaped eyes gleamed: "Aren't you full yet?"

The black-haired boy, who was slurping noodles, looked up blankly. After finishing the noodles in his mouth and swallowing, he glanced at the bowl of ramen in front of him, hesitated for two seconds, and said, "Hmm, finishing this bowl should be enough."

Shiho Miyano: "..."

Shiho Miyano paused, then asked, "You really trust me so much that I'll pass on the message, and if I don't agree to pass it on for you, you won't be able to contact the outside world now?"

Shiho Miyano found it difficult to agree with Tsurumi Nagaru's actions after meeting him for only a few days. Her first reaction after he approached her and made this request was wariness and a sense of astonishment.

She suspected that Tsurumi Kawakami was testing her, trying to find out what his purpose was.

Tsurumi Kawakami picked up his ramen bowl, took a sip of the rich broth, and said nonchalantly, "Well, there's nothing I can do about it. You're the only person I know here."

Shiho Miyano paused, scrutinized him for a few moments, and, confirming that he wasn't lying, a subtle emotion flickered through her mind.

Tsurumi Kawa didn't notice her odd behavior. He finished his ramen in a few bites, pressed his flat stomach, glanced reluctantly at the cafeteria window, and finally looked away with a heavy heart.

He took a tissue and wiped his mouth: "I'm done eating, let's go."

Shiho Miyano snapped out of her daze, glanced at the bowls of noodles piled beside her, and expressionlessly took out her employee card to pay the bill.

Back in her personal laboratory, Shiho Miyano immediately got to work. She told Nagaru Tsurumi to leave as he pleased, then put on her glasses and began working diligently.

Tsurumi Nagaru has no cell phone and is not allowed to contact the outside world. He sits on the sofa, idly flipping through the books that Shiho Miyano gave him to pass the time. He has already read this book three times.

He casually tossed the book aside, and Tsurumi Kawaru's gaze swept over the cabinet in the corner, where Shiho Miyano had brought back some books on biological research. Looking at those books, he suddenly became interested.

Just as Tsurumi Nagaru was engrossed in reading a book on anatomy, Amuro Tooru, who was frantically searching for someone outside, suddenly received a message from Rai.

Shuichi Akai thought for a moment and decided to tell Bourbon what Akemi had passed on. Although this might expose his relationship with Akemi and the fact that he had discovered some of the Black Organization's internal information, Tsurumi Ryuu's matter gave him a glimmer of an opportunity.

He brought news of the Suz wine and arranged to meet Bourbon at their usual spot.

The bar is located in a back alley, away from the hustle and bustle, with dim lighting.

A few soft thuds came from a nearby trash can, and a tabby cat with tattooed arms darted out carrying a mouse in its mouth, disappearing into the alley in a few swift movements.

As Lai stood in the shadows, he glanced up at the alleyway. A moment later, a familiar figure came into view: Amuro Tooru, wearing a baseball cap, looking like an ordinary young man seeking excitement at a bar.

"There's news about Suz's wine." Amuro Tooru raised his head, his dark eyes under the brim of his hat staring straight at Rai in the shadows.

"Yes, he was taken to the core research institute." Lei remained hidden in the shadows, ignoring the gazes directed at him.

Upon hearing his words, Amuro Tooru frowned slightly, silently repeating the words "core research institute" in his mind. Then, he quickly realized what he meant, stepped into the shadows, and spoke with a slightly playful and meaningful tone.

"It seems you've gathered just as much intelligence as I have." This statement practically reveals the mutual distrust between the two, leading to each conducting their own investigations.

Amuro Tooru had long suspected that Rae wouldn't share the intelligence he had gathered with him, just as Rae hadn't shared what he had investigated.

This distrust had become an unspoken rule between the two, but neither of them ever brought it up openly.

Moreover, for some reason, Amuro Tooru, or perhaps Furuya Rei, didn't have a good impression of the organization behind Rei.

He preferred that they resolve the matter themselves rather than involve outsiders.

When Amuro said that, he was actually testing Lei, trying to find out just how far he had gone in his investigation.

Lai didn't respond. He simply repeated what Tsurumi Kawakami had asked him to convey before saying, "That place is very hidden, but if we can find it, we can directly convict the Black Organization. There are quite a few people who have disappeared or been killed over the years, but they have been suppressed because they are cunning and willing to spend money."

"The boss of the Black Organization is said to be called Raven." Lei paused for a second before telling the person in front of him this piece of information.

Amuro Tooru paused, his expression hardening, and said in a deep voice, "Crow."

He had tried to find information about the Black Organization's boss, but unfortunately, he had come up empty-handed. Hearing Ray's words, he was momentarily surprised, but quickly memorized this lead.

Moreover, considering this, Amuro Tooru also let go of some of his grudges, and the two stood in the shadows and whispered about the information they had obtained.

After the conversation, Amuro Tooru suggested, "Rum assigned Suz to Gin to make him jealous and to make him his eyes and ears. Now that Suz has disappeared, Rum should have noticed something."

"I will find an appropriate time to tell Curaçao about Suz's wine. Recently, there have been many rumors about Rum within the organization. He will definitely take action if he wants to turn the situation around."

Amuro Tooru still insists on letting Rum and Gin fight amongst themselves first, to test the depths of the Black Organization. Now that Tsurumi Nagaru has been brought to the core research institute, this time they might be able to find out the Black Organization's true strength.

Leie did not comment on this, but he also did not agree with Amuro Tooru's plan.

Amuro Tooru could roughly guess the other party's attitude from his silence, but he did not try to force Ray to agree. He simply explained the plan briefly so that the other party would have a general idea, which would facilitate his actions within the organization later.

A day passed, and Curaçao, still receiving no reply, finally realized something was wrong. Just as she was about to tell Rum about Suz's disappearance, she suddenly learned that Bourbon had come looking for her.

She hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately decided to meet Bourbon.

Behind the dark red solid wood desk, Curaçao, with her heterochromatic eyes, looked somewhat surprised. She looked up at Bourbon standing in front of her, her tone hesitant: "You said Suz was taken away by Gin?"

Amuro Tooru knew exactly how to tell Curaçao this news so that Rum, who was behind her, would find out. Saying directly that Gin took Suz to meet the Black Organization's boss, or that Suz was currently in the core research facility, wouldn't be a wise move.

Only high-ranking members knew of that man's existence. For a newcomer like him, who had only been in the organization for a few years and had just received his codename a year ago, to know such information would undoubtedly make him a suspect infiltrator's ranks.

Therefore, Amuro Tooru could only tell the lighter part, telling Curaçao about seeing vodka in the bar a few days ago, and emphasizing the information he had deduced.

"Yes. That day, Vodka didn't drive Gin. Instead, he went to a bar to buy alcohol by himself. I asked around and found out that Gin was driving alone."

The blond, dark-skinned youth smiled maliciously and continued, "...I have some connection with Suzijiu and know where he lives. When I went to see him yesterday, I found that at least no one was home."

Curaçao knew about his relationship with Tsurumi Ryu, since Tsurumi Ryu usually liked to visit Bourbon, and he could verify the authenticity of the information by carefully investigating his residence.

Amuro Tooru wasn't lying about any of these things; he was just omitting some details.

Curaçao didn't know if she believed him or not, but judging from her expression, she seemed to believe him to some extent. After sending Bourbon away, she ordered her men to investigate the surveillance footage near Tsurumi River's residence to verify Bourbon's words.

Then he pulled up the mission log from five days ago, reviewed it, and confirmed that Gin and Vodka had not been on a mission that day. Curacao narrowed his eyes, took out his phone, and called Rum to report.

She believed that Bourbon wouldn't dare to lie. Checking the surveillance footage wasn't difficult; if he lied, it would be easily exposed. Besides, there were other ways to verify the information.

Curaçao took Bourbon's intelligence to heart and reported it directly to Rum for his decision.

"...Lord Rum, what do we do now? Suz is very likely to be taken to see the boss by Gin." Curaçao said softly, carefully avoiding provoking Rum.

She knew the expectations Rum had for Tsurumi Ryu, and she could roughly guess what Rum valued in Suzuki, which was why she was so tolerant of Tsurumi Ryu.

Now that Tsurumi Kawaru has been taken to see the boss by Gin before him, it means that he has also discovered the ability in him that Rum could value. Rum must be furious at this double loss, especially since he was in a position where he was outmaneuvered by Gin.

As expected, Rum was furious when he received the news and threw a tantrum. Once he calmed down, he immediately realized the reason for his recent predicament.

He didn't care about anything else and immediately prepared the car to go see the boss.

But when he arrived at the manor, he was unable to go inside.

The privilege of being able to enter without prior notice was no longer available. Rum had no choice but to ask the guards at the manor to announce his arrival, and then waited outside the manor.