Chapter 74, Eighteenth Cycle (18)
"How is it?" Bourbon stood up and handed the mirror to Vermouth.
The blond youth smiled and winked, saying, "Please have Ms. Vermouth check my homework."
Vermouth took the mirror and carefully examined the black-haired man in it, then reached out and touched him.
"..." She couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, "Bourbon, you learn so fast."
Vermouth had been slow enough, but Bourbon still graduated successfully today.
Bourbon has mastered disguise completely, and his skills are quite advanced.
The blond youth smiled and raised his hand: "Teacher, I also want to learn voice changing, the kind that lets me transform into anyone—"
Vermouth immediately interrupted him: "Dream on."
If Bourbon taught her how to disguise and change her voice, then she, as his teacher, would starve to death.
*
After being driven away by Vermouth, Bourbon went to the lab to find Sherry.
Sherry, whose real name is Shiho Miyano, is Akemi Miyano's younger sister. She is 14 years old this year and is a biochemist and pharmacologist. She is also proficient in many sciences and languages and is a very knowledgeable and talented girl.
The lab she worked in was specifically built for the new experiments she was in charge of, restarting the Miyano couple's unsuccessful research project.
However, much of the research data was destroyed in the fire that claimed the lives of the Miyano couple, so the experiments actually changed a lot. Over the years, only their daughter, the genius scientist Shiho Miyano, has successfully restarted the APTX4869 project.
As a result, Shiho Miyano was given the codename Sherry.
This is enough to prove how much the organization's boss values this project and how much he values Shirley's talent.
"Isn't Shirley here?" Bourbon suddenly poked his head out from the doorway.
The people in the lab were momentarily flustered by the arrival of Bourbon, a member of the organization with a notorious and terrifying codename. One of them whispered respectfully, "Shirley went to Pandora's."
"Tch, I might as well just go to Pandora's." Bourbon scoffed, then chuckled and sighed, "It seems that no matter how precocious and genius Sherry is, she's still just a little girl. She probably prefers playing with sparkly gems to this kind of boring experiment."
The others didn't dare to speak, nor did they dare to look him in the eye. They just pretended to be busy with their work until Bourbon left, at which point they breathed a sigh of relief.
As researchers within the organization, they receive the best treatment, but also face the most restrictions.
They had only seen a handful of codenamed members; the Boss and Rum had never shown themselves, leaving only Gin, Bourbon, and Sherry.
Although Sherry is also a high-ranking member, apart from her genius mind, she is actually not much different from an ordinary girl. She is easy to get along with and treats them very well.
Gin and Bourbon are completely different.
Bourbon, in particular, is far more terrifying than the outwardly fearsome Gin. The Bourbon, who hides a smiling face and subtly extracts information from you before setting a trap, is far more terrifying, especially for researchers whose work involves confidentiality and personal safety.
People in the organization say that if you offend Gin, you might still survive because you've contributed to the organization, but if you offend Bourbon... you won't even know how you died.
Fortunately, they didn't have much contact with Bourbon. Every time Bourbon came, it was to find Sherry. After exchanging information like playing with a cat, he would leave immediately.
Bourbon usually works for Pandora; he is one of Pandora's key figures.
The new project, named "Pandora," was established based on Bourbon's intelligence. Because it involved investigating Pandora, the legendary gem of destiny that could grant immortality, it quickly became the organization's most expensive project.
Since Pandora and Sherry's experiments share the same direction and goals, and the scope of their research is still within Sherry's area of expertise, they were placed in Sherry's laboratory, and she was put in charge of both projects at the same time.
However, unlike the APTX4869 project that Sherry had previously researched, Bourbon's Pandora project was just beginning, still in the initial stages of intelligence gathering and gem composition research, with not much experimental work involved.
Therefore, while Sherry was busy gathering intelligence and outwitting the mysterious organization codenamed "Animal," it was quite easy for her; she could just occasionally look at the intelligence and study the different gems.
So Sherry naturally preferred to go to Pandora to study the beautiful but useless gems, and put aside the uncomfortable APTX4869 research as much as possible.
Shirley didn't want to study APTX4869. She didn't understand why her parents wanted to study such a thing. Such a drug shouldn't exist, but she had no choice.
If they don't investigate, she and her sister will only face certain death.
But now, Bourbon has given her another option.
Pandora sounds magical, and the idea that studying the composition of gemstones could grant immortality is unscientific and absurd. I really don't know how the boss could trust Bourbon and place such importance on this project as much as APTX4869.
But Shirley was very grateful to Bourbon for giving her a chance to catch her breath from the APTX4869 research.
"Shirley, how was it? Did you have any success today?"
As soon as she said Bourbon, he appeared. The blond, dark-skinned young man opened the door, smiled at her, picked up a white lab coat from the doorway, put it on, and walked over.
“No, this gem is probably useless.” Sherry put down the gem in her hand, pretending that she wasn’t staring at it blankly but was actually studying it seriously.
“Then let’s begin studying this.” Bourbon extended his hand, revealing a beautiful red gem in his white-gloved palm.
Shirley took it and looked at it under the light for a few seconds, somewhat liking the color: "Where did you get this from this time? How much did it cost? What's the story behind it?"
Bourbon blinked and gave an innocent smile: "This time it didn't cost any money, Gin worked overtime to steal it."
Sherry's face immediately broke into a gloating, mocking smile. "Gin worked overtime to snatch this, hahaha!"
Bourbon continued, "This is a rather interesting story. This gem was stolen from a nobleman's tomb, and it's said that the tomb's occupant kept it in his mouth, thus preserving his body for three hundred years..."
Shirley's smile froze, and she immediately put down the gem.
She is indeed a scientist, and she's used to conducting experiments and dissections, but the gemstone taken from the mouth of a corpse that hasn't decomposed for three hundred years in the cemetery...
The girl with short brown hair turned her head and saw the blond youth smiling so hard his eyes narrowed.
A vein throbbed on her forehead.
This guy did it on purpose.
"Alright, alright, it's already three in the afternoon. You haven't eaten anything besides coffee, have you?" Bourbon's sharp eyes swept around and immediately judged her situation.
“I’ve had breakfast,” Shirley said.
"Was it the sandwich I brought you yesterday?" Bourbon raised an eyebrow.
Sherry: "...Is that not allowed?"
Bourbon said helplessly, "You still need to eat three meals a day properly. Eating and sleeping are also part of work. Besides, you're still so young. If you don't eat and sleep properly, you might not grow tall."
Shirley crossed her arms and snorted coldly, "Don't try to use your tricks on me, I'm not falling for it."
Don't think she doesn't know that people in the organization are saying that Bourbon used a honey trap on her.
Bourbon stroked his chin: "Even if I brought you my own homemade curry rice, you wouldn't eat it?"
Sherry: "..."
Sherry put her hand down: "Since you brought it all, I'll just have to eat a bite."
Bourbon is such a good cook, it would be a waste not to eat him.
The brown-haired girl and the blond youth walked out of the door and headed towards the lounge, talking about their recent experiments.
A beam of light flashed from the surveillance camera on the laboratory wall behind me.
*
Bourbon left the lab at 4:30 p.m.
His white Mazda was parked in the underground parking garage, next to a black Porsche that had been parked there before.
Bourbon scoffed, "Gin's here today too? I wish I hadn't come."
"Let's get going before we run into that deadpan guy," he said, taking out his keys to open the car door and getting in, but his movements stopped at the sound of a gun being cocked next to him.
“Go inside,” Vermouth said.
Bourbon got into the driver's seat, and Vermodra opened the car door and sat in the passenger seat, pointing the gun at the blond youth's head.
Bourbon sighed: "I feel like someone is always pointing a gun at my head, and not only that, they always poke me roughly."
"Isn't that because you're such a troublemaker?" Vermouth said, her face unusually devoid of a smile.
"So I've offended you again?" Bourbon tilted his head. "Today isn't supposed to be your day for a medical check-up in the lab, is it?"
"Don't play dumb. You've clearly investigated everything about me and the Miyano family." Vermouth became even angrier when she heard about the laboratory and the physical examination.
She quickly regained her composure, a smirk playing on her lips as she stared into the blond youth's eyes. "Bourbon, it seems your relationship with Sherry has become quite good. Are you also involved in that foolish experiment of the Miyano family? What do you want from that little girl? It must be related to your secret, right?"
Bourbon raised an eyebrow in surprise: "How could that be? I was just curious about what the experiment was all about, which is why I approached Sherry. But don't worry, I'm not like Ray who climbs the social ladder by deceiving women's feelings, so it's just a business relationship."
Vermouth didn't lower her gun: "Oh? Is that so? Like our relationship?"
“How can that little girl compare to you?” Bourbon’s eyes crinkled. “As for the experiment… why would the BOSS ask me to participate in that experiment for no reason? But the project I’m in charge of now does have something to do with Sherry.”
He drawled out his words, then chuckled, "If you teach me how to change my voice, I can give you the latest information on Pandora for free, since you'll probably be involved later anyway."
Vermouth: "..."
Vermouth lowered her gun, let out a long sigh, and tossed her hair with her hand, saying, "You really aren't afraid of death, Bourbon. Do you know that you've already touched upon the organization's most important secrets?"
Bourbon started the car: "Because I know this is your personal operation. I trust you won't kill me. If there's any real danger, it'll be Gin who comes to arrest me, right?"
Vermouth leaned back in her chair, utterly exasperated by this audacious little madman.
“After all, we’re accomplices.” She rolled down the car window and lit a cigarette.
Bourbon chuckled cheerfully, "Where are you going? I'll take you home first."
*
Bourbon returned to the Whiskey Group's three-person safe house at 6:30 p.m.
Actually, if Scotland hadn't messaged him, he probably would have been even later.
"What surprise could it be?" Bourbon's keychain spun a few times before being grabbed by a tanned hand that opened the door to the room.
It was already getting dark at 6:30. When I opened the door, the room was brightly lit and had a very strong aroma of curry.
Bourbon went inside to change his shoes, wondering if he had any ingredients left from making curry that morning. Had Scotland gone to buy more? But why was he eating curry again? Was it because he was dissatisfied that Scottish's curry tasted better? So this was the surprise?
The blond youth stepped out of the entryway, stood in the living room looking towards the kitchen, and then the smile on his face instantly froze.
Lai, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing an apron, came out of the kitchen carrying a bowl of curry.
Scotland sat at the table, smiling and greeting him. Her clothes were clean, and she showed no signs of having cooked.
Bourbon: "..."
Bourbon's pupil earthquake.
So, that curry rice on the table that looks pretty good was made by Lai?!
Ray straightened his back and deliberately made a loud noise as he placed the plate on the table, startling the stunned Bourbon.
Bourbon walked over and pondered for a while before finally confirming, "It's takeout, isn't it?"
Lei: "..."
"Can Bourbon, whose observation skills are second to none in the organization, really be blind one day?" Ray said coldly.
Scotland had been holding back her laughter for a while, then pulled Bourbon, who was about to explode, to sit down in the chair next to her and said, "How about it? Surprised? Rye finally succeeded, why don't you try it?"
Lai untied his apron, brought out the last plate of curry rice, and sat down opposite Bourbon, seemingly unconcerned about his reaction, and began to eat.
Bourbon's expression was extremely serious, and he carefully picked up the spoon and took a bite as if he were facing a bomb.
Scotland, standing beside him, smiled and rested her chin on her hand, looking at him: "How is it?"
Bourbon glanced at Lei and reluctantly hummed, "It's not exactly delicious, but it's definitely at a normal, edible level."
“Right, right? Actually, once you’re familiar with the kitchen utensils and cooking steps, Rae learns quite quickly, and curry is also very simple,” Scotland said.
Bourbon turned around in shock, his face showing a betrayal: "You taught him?"
Scotland winked and chuckled, "It's always good to have another person who can cook, right?"
Lei finally spoke up.
“It’s just a simple dish, nothing to me,” he said, directly using the words Bourbon had used to mock him for not being able to cook.
Bourbon: "..."
The next morning, Bourbon rolled up his sleeves and prepared an incredibly luxurious meal for the three of them. He even used the "wine-boiling" technique from a high-end restaurant, showcasing a stunning skill right in front of Ray.
Let alone crushing Lei, even chefs from countless high-end restaurants would probably have to admit defeat.
Despite having enjoyed a shockingly delicious and luxurious meal, Lai was still quite unhappy: "..."
At 10 p.m., Bourbon returned home after finishing work and opened the door to find Ray sitting on the sofa reading a book.
Yes, Lei wasn't reading in his room; he was reading on the sofa in the living room.
Besides the book he was holding, there were several other thick books on the table in front of him.
Upon closer inspection, they were all related to programming and computer technology.
Bourbon: "..."
Bourbon rushed into Scotland's room, grabbed his hand, and said earnestly, "Scotland, I want to learn sniping!"
Scotland:"?"
Ray, who could hear clearly from outside the door, was speechless.
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