Chapter 32
Usaku Saiki and Amuro Tooru got out of the car and began to discuss where to go.
"There's a shopping mall upstairs," Amuro Tooru said. "Is there anything you'd like to eat, Usui-kun?"
After thinking for a moment, Usoya Saiki said, "I want to eat home-style cooking."
"Then let's have a family restaurant..."
Usoba Saiki interrupted, "Can you cook? You seemed quite skilled when you were helping Midorikawa."
Amuro Tooru remained silent.
Does this guy mean he wants to eat his cooking? Isn't he afraid he'll poison it? Oh, this guy really isn't afraid; he's probably just catching a traitor.
Cooking definitely requires space, right? Maybe I'm just using this as an excuse to investigate something at his place.
To this day, Amuro Tooru still doesn't quite understand what Usuba Saiki's situation is, so he can't judge whether Usuba Saiki will take the initiative to do something from the organization's perspective.
If you say he doesn't care about the organization, then he really doesn't. Gin and Vodka couldn't get in touch with him no matter what. When they finally met, Vodka didn't dare to speak loudly. His humiliating appearance made even this Japanese policeman feel a little sad. He felt a sense of déjà vu with some pitiful corporate slaves facing their superiors' connections.
But the organization can't support someone who has no loyalty and only knows how to freeload. So, Usakabe Saiki might just like to cause trouble, but his professional skills are still quite good. For example, when they went to find the traitor last time, they actually found him on the second floor of the mahjong room, and Gin sniped him to death.
Although Usakabe Saiki talks a lot of nonsense, which can be overwhelming, there is indeed some real and useful information hidden in his ramblings. For example, his ability to lead the way and read people, which I initially thought was just a joke, turned out to be true...
This meant that he had to carefully consider every word Usui Saiki said, and even when refusing, he had to think about how to refuse: "I've studied a little, but I don't live in Tokyo right now, and I need a place to cook..."
Usakabe Saiki chimed in cheerfully, "It's alright! My house is nearby! Come over and cook for me! I've never brought a friend home before!"
Toru Amuro: "…………"
First of all, I am not your friend. Secondly, no one brings a friend home for the first time just so that the friend can cook for them.
Although Amuro Tooru had no interest in cooking for Usui Saiki, the thought of it being an opportunity to go to his place and observe something made it hard for him to resist.
Even though Bo Yezaki hasn't lived there for a long time, I heard that he has furnished his place very well, and there are signs that he has lived there... When we lived together during a mission before, we couldn't tell much from the safe house we stayed in. But it's better to gather information about the resident in places like this where things are arranged according to personal preferences.
Moreover, from a psychological perspective, people are more relaxed and more likely to say things they wouldn't easily say outside their own territory.
After hesitating for a few seconds, Amuro Tooru agreed: "Okay... but don't blame me if it doesn't taste good."
"There's a shopping mall upstairs, let's go buy some groceries. It's been so long since we've been back, the fridge is all empty. You can drive your car in a bit, I'll give you directions."
Amuro Tooru suddenly sensed something was wrong: "How did you know I drove here today?"
"Didn't you say you were going to return my music box? You don't look like you're carrying a music box around." Usui Saiki looked completely bewildered. "Isn't that basic reasoning?"
“...Yes, that’s right.” Amuro Tooru smiled helplessly.
This guy is shrouded in too many mysteries; he's more suspicious than carefree.
Unlike his intelligence operative Vodka, who disliked each other, and Usui, who was generally annoying, Amuro Tooru actually wanted to build a good relationship with Usui this time. Therefore, he cooperated very well in the operation after the target was identified.
He and Usui went to the supermarket in the mall above the parking lot, and strolled around like roommates, filling a small basket with ingredients for cooking later, and a car full of snacks that Usui wanted to eat.
When Usui Saiki grabbed another case of Sprite, Amuro Tooru couldn't resist glancing at the overflowing shopping cart.
"Will I be unable to let go?"
Bo Yezaki pursed her lips, picking through the items in front of the shopping cart, muttering to herself, "It's so rare to have someone drive, and I accidentally filled it up too much..."
Toru Amuro: "…………"
That's enough. You don't need to let me know how wronged I am anymore.
System question: [Didn't you already pull out a case of Pepsi? Can you finish another case?]
"I love Sprite, and I prefer Coca-Cola." Bo Yezaki said casually, "My friends don't mind, so why are you so critical?"
system:【……? ? ? 】
Huh? The word "friend" was too hot to say when you were in the "Hanchuan Shenliu" state, but now it doesn't matter anymore?!
I feel so sorry for Kenji Hagiwara!!!
To be honest, Amuro Tooru really didn't complain at all—even if he did, he wouldn't say it. That's how good the acting is for a truly self-disciplined undercover agent. He helped Usaku Saiki carry all those things to his car, then drove to Usaku Saiki's house and helped carry them upstairs.
Fortunately, Bo Yezhai's family lived on the second floor.
This is a height from which one can escape directly through the window in case of any situation, which is why the outsiders who secretly came to investigate Bo Ye's house were able to escape through the window before the police arrived.
Because the person who called the police had difficulty determining where the scream came from, the police knocked on Bo Ye's door but found no one home. Neighbors also said no one had been home for a long time, so they assumed the incident didn't happen in that room. They then investigated other floors but found nothing. They simply told the police that a man had broken something and was too embarrassed to admit he screamed, thus covering up the incident.
It does make it easier for outside staff to come back and restore it to its original state.
Aside from Vodka, Gin, and that outsider, no one knew about this; not even the system or Usakabe Saiki noticed.
Usakabe Saiki opened the door with his key, and Amuro Toru, who was carrying a bag, said "Excuse me" and went in first.
Then he was shocked.
Bo Yezaki was behind him. Seeing that he was standing there without moving, he reminded him, "Put the bag on the ground first, it's very heavy."
"...Uh, oh, okay."
Amuro Tooru closed his eyes in pain, then opened them again, mechanically starting to rummage through the shopping bags in the room, but the scene he had just witnessed lingered in his mind.
A skeleton playing a pink grand piano... Is this a matter of personal aesthetics, or some kind of perverse taste...?
When he finally finished moving all the bags, he found Usakata Saiki standing in the living room, looking serious.
"What's wrong?"
Bo Yezaki said expressionlessly, "Someone came by and stole my things."
After saying that, Bo Ye Saiki started making a phone call to vodka.
Vodka had only been separated from Usakata Saiki for less than an hour when he received a call from him. He immediately sensed that it was bad news and didn't want to answer.
But he couldn't refuse, so Vodka sighed inwardly, "Hello?"
"Vodka, it's one thing to have someone spy on my house, but how could you steal my things?"
"...Huh? What did you lose?"
Vodka thought to himself, "Oh no, I've been found out!" But wait a minute! He had clearly told that guy to put the broken things back exactly as they were!
"The vase on this cabinet by the door isn't mine." Usakabe Saiki tilted the vase, and to Amuro Tooru's astonishment, poured out a giant spider plush toy. "And I put the plush toy in there right-side up. Who put it upside down for me?"
Vodka was speechless. That guy had even broken the vase, so how was he supposed to know if it was upright or upside down? "Just a vase? And why did you put the doll in the vase?"
"Because this makes it doubly warm and cozy."
Vodka: "..."
I'm sorry, it was my fault. I shouldn't have asked a mentally ill person such a question. Perhaps in the world of the mentally ill, vases and spiders are symbols of warmth and comfort.
Usaku Saiki is really annoyed.
He noticed something was wrong as soon as he came in. The vase should have given a +10 warmth factor, but now it only gave a +5!
Having arrived in this strange world, he already felt no sense of belonging to this wretched place, and could never feel at home anywhere.
However, a high level of warmth can change this psychological feeling and make him more relaxed.
As it turns out, Vodka really went too far. He took the skull with the cooling effect, and then he took his vase too!
He walked into the living room while on the phone, even angrier: "And the crystal ball on my coffee table, the floor lamp next to the armchair..."
Vodka hadn't paid attention to what he'd reimbursed before, but now, listening to Usakabe Saiki reciting the list, he was puzzled as to how Usakabe Saiki had found out. Had his subordinate cut corners and not bought the original? At the same time, he couldn't help but want to complain about his subordinate—it was just a spider doll, how could it have scared him so much that he broke so many things? Was he dancing in his room?
Vodka readily apologized, after all, he had previously admitted to having someone monitor Usakata Saiki, and no one would believe that the person who broke into his room wasn't one of his people.
"I went to see if you were the one who had an accident at home. You accidentally fell and broke something when you went in. I had someone buy you a replacement just like that. But it seems that guy was just fooling me. This won't happen again. What kind of compensation do you want?"
Bo Yezaki said quietly, "I'm heartbroken right now. I don't want to see you for at least a month. I need time to heal my wounds. Let's talk about work again when I've recovered."
He hung up the phone after saying that.
Vodka called back, only to hear the familiar "phone switched off" tone: "..."
Wait a minute, doesn't this mean he worked for nothing today?!
After finally persuading Bo Yezhai to stop disappearing and get back to work, is everything back to square one?!
Vodka understood Gin's usual worries and anger.
—The people below are incompetent! If you can't do it, don't do it at all, or at least don't hold us back!
He was obsequious to Usoppō Saiki, but delivered a powerful blow to his subordinate, Vodka.
If this subordinate hadn't done a poor job, he wouldn't be suffering this injustice! He can't even handle something so simple, what else can he do?! Demote him and make him cannon fodder!
Amuro Tooru roughly figured out what had happened based on the leaked audio in the phone call, but he couldn't understand how Vodka's subordinate could make such a basic mistake: "What was the original thing like?"
Usakabe Saiki: "That's how it is."
Many of the prizes you win actually have corresponding items in this world, they're just different in terms of attributes, otherwise they're exactly the same.
But Amuro Tooru was confused: "How can you tell they've been switched when they're exactly the same? Do you have security cameras in your house?"
"No, but I noticed it as soon as I came in." Bo Yezai said angrily, "You don't understand, it's just that you can tell it's different at a glance."
Toru Amuro: "…………"
He felt that Vodka's subordinate was somewhat wronged, but since it was the organization's people who were lost anyway, he was unwilling to speak up for him.
The good news is that by sacrificing one of Vodka's subordinates, he obtained important intelligence—unless absolutely necessary, it's best not to even think about doing anything at Usui's house; that guy is just too perceptive.
"I'll go cook," Amuro Tooru sighed. "Excuse me, where's the kitchen?"
"It's on the left... I'll take you there." Bo Yezaki's mood improved again. "By the way, do you still have the receipts for these things?"
"You haven't thrown them away yet, it's okay, these are thank-you gifts, I bought them for you voluntarily."
No, that's not what I meant.
Usaku Saiki walked in front, and Amuro Tooru behind him could not see his expression, but could only hear what he said.
“What I mean is, you can ask Vodka for reimbursement—just say it was a small upfront investment to test me and gather intelligence on me.”
Amuro Tooru, whose mind had relaxed because of Usui Saiki's childish behavior, tensed up again: "...I didn't think that way."
“You can think of it this way,” said Usakabe Saiki. “Let’s talk about the intelligence you can use to get things done…Aren’t you quite interested in the police academy?”
--------------------
Bonus chapter for landmine!
The previous chapter featured an "what if" scenario where Alex didn't die and returned to the Japanese Public Security Bureau with Ueba—it was really fun!
.
My current favorite drink is milk beer. Besides regular drinks, what other beverages do you like to recommend?
.
The information that can be publicly disclosed so far is that Bo Ye's talkativeness is real, not an act, and this is related to why he named Han Chuan Shen Liu "Shen Liu" (Deep Flow).
.
Vodka, who worked for nothing all day: I can feel the pain of the eldest brother. It's really tiring to have no one to rely on!
Innocent subordinate: ???
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
