Chapter 83: The Free United States

Two days after attending Rei Furuya and Kagemitsu Morofushi's graduation ceremony, Ikuya Nekono bid a simple farewell to her lover and friends under a clear blue sky.

As planned, Ikuya Nekono first flew to foggy London and visited her grandfather, a British gentleman with meticulously combed silver hair and sharp eyes that could not hide his affection for Ikuya Nekono, in an old Victorian mansion on the banks of the Thames.

The grandfather and grandson spent two quiet and leisurely weeks in the study, which was filled with the aroma of black tea and the fragrance of old books.

Of course, Ikuya Nekono also took many photos of famous British landmarks for postcards. On the banks of the Thames, Big Ben stands solemnly in the morning mist, and the London Eye rotates quietly in the shimmering water. Ikuya Nekono, in different appearances, appears before different landscapes, leaving the same timeless and unique mark.

On the postcard she sent to her lover, Ikuya Nekono wrote:

"The fog in London was like a veil soaked with time, and the Thames reflected the stone arch bridges. This morning I went to Westminster Bridge, which spans the Thames and connects the north and south banks."

"Standing alone on the bridge admiring the scenery, I suddenly recalled Natsume Soseki's words, 'The moon is beautiful tonight.' If he had seen the London sunrise, perhaps he would have praised the gentleness of the morning light instead."

"I truly hope you can also hear the deep, melodious chimes of Big Ben echoing across the city, and see the dazzling lights of the London Eye gradually illuminating the twilight..."

"Okay, let's get straight to the point. What I really mean is—"

"I miss you, Zero. I miss you so much."

Do you miss me?

Upon receiving the postcards, Rei Furuya wrote back with the same longing in mind, and then carefully treasured each of the postcards.

He dressed formally and went to the National Police Agency as agreed. After graduation, he joined the Security Planning Division of the Metropolitan Police Department's Security Bureau. However, his real file and police academy photo were being hidden, and the Public Security Bureau seemed to have other plans for him.

Meanwhile, with nothing else to do, Nekono Yuuya dressed up as a detective and wore a deerstalker hat to visit the Sherlock Holmes Museum at 221B Baker Street, took some photos, and bought a lot of Sherlock Holmes souvenirs.

The profession of detective has become increasingly popular in Japan in recent years, and Sherlock Holmes, the famous character created by Arthur Conan Doyle, has become increasingly popular with the public.

Buying authentic Sherlock Holmes Museum merchandise is a great choice, whether as a gift for a friend or as part of your own collection.

After a brief stop in England to bid farewell to his grandfather, Ikuya Nekono set off again. The flight pierced the clouds, taking him to the United States.

The United States is a very warm country, truly warm. This was evident in the fact that Nekono Ikuya had just stepped off the plane and met with the American branch management team who were there to pick her up when she was immediately ambushed.

To be precise, it wasn't Nekono Ikuya who was targeted, but rather the branch office general manager who came to pick him up at the airport.

The cabin door slowly opened, and Nekono Yuuya calmly stepped out of the private jet. Because he was going to meet with the branch company's management today, he unusually did not disguise himself and appeared with his true appearance of black hair and blue eyes. The bright sunlight fell on Nekono Yuuya, outlining his elegant and handsome features, and his pair of blue cat eyes appeared clear and calm under the light.

Today, Nekono Ikuya wore a well-tailored light gray casual suit, which made his figure appear even more upright. His outstanding appearance and cool temperament made him very eye-catching on the tarmac.

Blake, still dressed in a black suit and sunglasses, followed silently and firmly behind him, like a loyal shadow.

The branch office staff, who had been waiting on the tarmac, immediately came forward. A middle-aged man with brown hair and eyes, of ordinary appearance but with an exceptionally composed demeanor, stepped forward, a respectful but not obsequious smile on his face, and extended his right hand to Nekono Yuuya:

"Young Master Yu Mi, hello. I am the current general manager of the branch office. You can call me—"

Nekono Ikuya also politely extended his hand, ready to complete this initial greeting.

In that instant, something unexpected happened!

"call out--!"

A faint yet deadly sound pierced the air, aimed directly at the branch manager's forehead!

In the blink of an eye, Nekono Ikuya's emerald cat eyes suddenly narrowed.

His outstretched right hand, which was originally in a handshake gesture, suddenly flipped over to become a grappling move. With lightning speed, he grabbed the wrist of the brown-haired middle-aged man who hadn't even had time to say his name. The force was so great that the man's smile instantly froze, and he reflexively showed a hint of pain.

It wasn't over yet. At the same time, Nekono Ikuya stretched out her left leg and swept it swiftly towards the back of the brown-haired middle-aged man's knee.

The general manager had no time to react. He first felt a sharp pain in his wrist, then his lower body was hit hard, and he instantly lost his balance. Then, he was violently pulled down by Nekono Ikuya with a force that was completely inconsistent with his handsome appearance.

Brown-haired General Manager: "?"

Everyone in the branch office: !

Before anyone could react to Nekono Ikuya's sudden attack...

"Bang--!"

A plume of dust suddenly rose from the ground slightly behind where the brown-haired general manager had been standing, revealing a clear bullet hole.

The bullet pierced deep into the ground.

Everyone at the branch office: "?!"

Brown-haired General Manager: "!!"

His face, which was about to display a questioning expression, froze instantly, turning deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down his back. Having been pulled and tumbled to the ground by Nekono Ikumi, he was unable to get up for a moment, having narrowly avoided a fatal bullet aimed at his brow.

A close call!

"Sniper! Get cover!"

Blake's deep, cold voice rang out immediately. His tall figure stepped forward and reacted swiftly, blocking Nekono Ikuya and the still-shaken general manager. At the same time, he reached into his pocket with his right hand and pulled out a pistol. His sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, scanned the surrounding high points where snipers might be hiding.

As the captain of Nekono Ikuya's security team, he naturally obtained gun licenses for various types of firearms from different countries, and of course, he would not come to the "free and open" United States without carrying a handgun.

The entire pick-up team was thrown into chaos, but under the guidance of Blake and the on-site security, order was quickly restored. Everyone quickly sought cover, and the accompanying security personnel formed a human wall in a well-trained manner.

The branch manager, still shaken by the rescue of Nekono Yuuya, stared at the bullet hole in the ground behind where he had just been standing. He then looked sharply at the young man in front of him who had saved his life with astonishing speed and remained calm.

Nekono Ikuya glanced at him lightly.

For some reason, the general manager looked flustered, not entirely because he had been targeted.

Releasing his grip, Nekono Ikumi's expression remained calm, as if the life-or-death rescue he had just performed was merely a casual act. He even had the leisure to straighten the slightly wrinkled cuffs of his suit sleeves caused by his earlier actions.

However, Nekono Ikuya's mood was not as calm as his expression.

He was in a bad mood.

Almost, almost, this brown-haired general manager was sniped in the head right in front of Nekono Ikuya. Given the distance between him and Nekono Ikuya as they were about to shake hands, his blood and brains would have splattered all over Nekono Ikuya.

It's hard to say whether the speed of Nekono Ikuya's rescue was more about saving a life or avoiding being doused with blood.

“Robert Wilson, is it?” Nekono Ikuya looked at the still-shaken brown-haired general manager again. The man had been helped to his feet by his entourage, but his legs still looked a little weak.

Nekono Ikuya's gaze lingered for a moment on his pale, frightened face before she said, "The little tricks you've been up to behind the scenes seem even more reckless than I thought."

Indeed, Ikuya Nekono's visit to the United States to inspect the business was due to news that the US branch had experienced several unusual cash flows and several suspicious cooperative projects in the past two years.

So, as a practice subject, Nekono's father handed the matter over to Nekono Ikuya to handle.

Before coming to the United States, Nekono Ikuya and her father thought that this was just a branch office that had been located overseas for a long time and was not under the strict control of the head office. General Manager Robert Wilson gradually developed his own ulterior motives and tried to embezzle a few hundred million yuan of public funds under various pretexts.

Although the amount was rather large, it was nothing compared to the company's total assets; at most, it showed that Robert Wilson was bold and greedy.

So they weren't in a hurry at first, but instead sent other employees from the head office to conduct a covert investigation. Nekono Ikuya even waited until after attending Rei Furuya and Kagemitsu Morofushi's graduation ceremony and spending some time with his grandfather before heading to the United States.

Then, within a minute of setting foot on American soil, he witnessed the sniping of Robert Wilson.

This was definitely murder to silence him, Ikuya Nekono was certain of, and perhaps even the timing was intentional, for example, to intimidate him.

Perhaps the other party was still trying to intimidate him, observe his personality, and judge whether there was any threat to his cooperation?

The sniper who fired the shot aimed at the head, which is more difficult to target, rather than the heart and lungs. Nekono Ikuya had observed that the nearby locations that could serve as sniping points were all quite far away. The security at this airport was usually not weak, and the aftermath of the sniping incident would be significant. This was perhaps a way to demonstrate their strength.

Unfortunately, the other party may be disappointed.

At this moment, the sniper, who had already holstered his rifle and fled the scene, was utterly astonished, and his partner, upon hearing the news, was equally shocked. The sniper bullet had already reached its target halfway, yet someone had managed to save it—was the rescuer even human, given their reaction speed?

Hearing Nekono Ikuya's merciless words, Robert Wilson trembled. He opened his mouth as if to argue, but remembering his previous experience of being sniped and Nekono Ikuya's life-saving grace, he finally lowered his head and could not utter a single word.

Previously, he had tried to stall for time and cover up what he had done, but now he only wanted to save his life! Fear filled his eyes. It was that organization—why would that organization suddenly attack him?!

The others around him realized that the situation was far more serious than an accidental attack, and they looked at Robert Wilson with suspicion and scrutiny.

Blake had already given quick instructions through his headset to have his men pursue the sniper and take control of the scene. Moments later, he received more information.

He approached Nekono Ikuya and whispered to him, "Young Master Ikuya, we've received news that there was an explosion on the top floor of the branch office building. Also, the FBI contacted us wanting to detain Robert Wilson."

Nekono Ikuya: "?"

He suddenly looked at Robert Wilson, now genuinely curious about what the man had done.