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"I underestimated your courage," Noel looked at the boy in front of him coldly. Meeting the stubborn gaze, he finally sighed helplessly and softened his tone:

"What's up, Hiroki?"

The boy standing in front of Noel, the boy who once stood on the rooftop in despair, has grown a lot now. Even his height has reached the level of Noel's chest. However, his pair of puppy eyes with drooping corners slowly become firm and he stands in front of Noel.

Still in front of Noel who was performing his duties as Grappa.

"I'm sorry, but there are some things I have to understand." Hongshu looked up at the man in front of him, his voice trembling slightly.

Noel looked at the other party's serious expression, and helplessly sent a message to Bourbon who was investigating intelligence on the other side, saying that he had something to do temporarily and would come over to collect the information later. He then pulled the boy to a secluded corner and said:

"If you have something to say, please tell me now. You came here suddenly to hide it from Xiao Guang. You have gone astray."

"Did I learn it from you?" Hongshu breathed a sigh of relief when he felt the other party's attitude soften, and he was even able to speak jokingly.

"It seems so," Noel admitted frankly, thinking of the time when he jumped off the roof with the boy and hacked the server of Sindorak Company with him. In his eyes, such "bad things" were nothing. It was pleasant to see the originally dull boy gradually become cheerful. "So, why do you come to see me in person at this time?"

"I just have something that I have to ask in person no matter what," Hongshu took a deep breath and asked directly, "About your cooperation with the police under the identity of Ikaros to arrest Grappa!"

"How did you find out?!" Noel couldn't help but swear. He couldn't hide the surprise on his face at all. He was shocked that Hongshu, who hadn't been online for a long time, had dug up such a big thing as soon as he came in.

"I went back to Japan through the public security, and they gave me access to the internal network." Hongshu had confirmed his intelligence was correct through Noel's expression, and after a brief explanation, he immediately asked, "So are you really going to be arrested?"

"No, you think too much." Noel rubbed his temples with a headache, secretly cursing those guys in the public security for being so careless, but then he thought that it was he who sent Hongshu back through the public security. How could the public security, knowing Hongshu's identity, not cultivate such a genius? After letting him access the internal network, with Hongshu's ability, he might have browsed all the internal information of the public security, and even Amuro Toru's identity might be exposed. Maybe Xiaoguang... uh, Xiaoguang.

"Do you know Xiao Guang's identity?" Noel raised his head and looked at Hong Shu with a sharp look. The other party quickly avoided him, obviously...

"You're really a genius." Noel said with mixed feelings. The main reason why he has his current hacking ability is that Xia Tian's memory gives him advanced awareness, but Hongshu is actually exploring on his own.

"So, Noel, what are you going to do? Xiaoguang wants you to leave the organization, and he is also trying to find a way to save you. Why do you want to... You don't plan to live as Ikaros, you... you have never thought about leaving there at all?" The boy's tone was anxious and a little tearful. He stared seriously at the man in front of him who had saved him, as if he wanted to get to the bottom of it.

"How did you find my location?" Noel chose to change the subject. In fact, there was no need to ask the question. It was not difficult for Hongshu to hack into the camera. In fact, as long as he wanted, he would always have the highest authority in Noah's Ark. It was not difficult to find Noel. Noel was also used to helping the Ark at critical moments but always selling himself to the red team. Shouldn't he be thankful that it was Hongshu who came instead of Xiaoguang...

"You clearly know," Hongshu lowered his head and spoke slowly. He didn't want to be perfunctorily treated like this, and said again: "In fact, even if you are caught as Grappa, it doesn't matter. I know those people can still exchange as long as there is benefit. Even if it doesn't work, I can go with Brother Xiaoguang to rob..."

"Hongshu," Noel helplessly called out to the boy who sounded a little crazy. Looking at his expression, he felt mixed emotions. He reached out and rubbed the boy's hair, and said softly, "I don't want you to get involved with me too much."

"I know. Brother Xiaoguang always says that."

"Then can you please stop asking?"

"Noel, you are too much," Hongshu suddenly stepped forward and hugged Noel tightly, saying; "You saved me, but you didn't let me save you..."

But all he got was silence. The man in front of him did not reject his embrace, but he also did not deny his words.

"Did you really want to jump at that moment, Noel?"

"At that time, I felt that I could finally escape from this world, but now I feel a little scared. This world is so beautiful, I really like it. Noel, don't you like it? I really like playing games with Noel and eating the cake made by Brother Xiaoguang together..."

"Noel, you were so happy when you were with Xiaoguang brother, and Conan and the others, everyone in the Junior Detective Team was very nice, and Uncle Maori and the others, everyone liked you very much..."

Hongshu's speech was a little confusing, and he felt that he had said a lot of things in a mess, as if he was using his last chance to retain his first human friend.

"I know you killed a lot of people as Grappa, but...but compared to those dead, I still hope you can be alive. I know this is selfish, but...but Noel, you saved a lot of people as Ikaros, right? It should be possible to cooperate with the public security with your real identity. The witness protection program in the United States is similar to that in the public security. I went to see it. Although your situation is more serious, Noel, if you can provide more valuable information...besides, you didn't join the organization voluntarily, you are also a victim. You also saved Brother Xiaoguang. The public security officer codenamed Zero who is in contact with you now is super nice. I checked and he is also Brother Xiaoguang's friend. As long as, as long as everyone explains clearly, Noel, it will definitely be possible..."

The young man said a lot, but never got a single response from the man. Only at the end did he hear the man say:

"Hongshu, it's so late. If you don't go back, your father will be worried."

Noel helped Hongshu get a taxi, stuffed the boy who was holding on to his clothes tightly into the taxi, and explained the location to the taxi driver. Obviously, the latter wanted to call the police after seeing the man in black, but Hongshu, who didn't want to see Noel being misunderstood again, finally explained, and dispelled the idea of ​​the taxi driver to call the police to report the trafficker.

"Noel," Hiroki shouted, "I still don't want to give up. You are my first human friend. I..."

"Hongshu, you deserve a better partner."

After all, you are Noel's first...human friend.

Noel turned and left, returned to his car, put on a mask and bandage that symbolized Grappa, and covered Xiachuan Kong's appearance tightly without leaving any gaps. The only pair of gray-green eyes had a hint of emotion, but they were shrouded in shadows and turned into a completely emotionless gray.

———

Toru Amuro looked at the message on his phone in deep thought. Although he had long guessed that Ikaros and Grappa had a grudge, he did not expect the other party to send a plan to arrest Grappa so quickly. Such an impatient look was a bit strange, but now both of them were in Japan and had a home position. At the same time, with the cooperation of Ikaros, they could determine the other party's location to the greatest extent. Thinking that the other party's fake identity, Natsukawa Sora, was still related to many ordinary people, it was indeed time to take action now.

Even though he and the other party are partners now and there is a little risk, as long as he can prove his alibi, it will not have anything to do with Bourbon. The organization originally had a rescue plan for the codenamed members detained by the Public Security Bureau due to lack of manpower. The Public Security Bureau can control the situation by releasing location information as bait. It is definitely Grappa who has the highest military strength who will be responsible for the rescue. Now is indeed the best time. Grappa's danger will only increase.

Thinking about Grappa's recent behavior when working with him, compared to the past, when Bourbon was the one leading the action plan and completing the mission as little as possible to avoid casualties, Grappa now has an obvious indifference of completing the mission quickly and killing the opponent as soon as possible, and during the mission, he seemed like a different person and didn't communicate with him, which seemed very problematic.

Was it true that something went wrong with his brain during the years he was away? Amuro Toru thought about this possibility seriously and then felt a headache, but he also wrote back to Ikaros and agreed to the plan.

Then he looked at the information about Hikaru Natsukawa sent by Ikaros. Apart from his appearance being too similar to Hiro, his background was very problematic, as if it was deliberately concealed by someone. But logically, if Grappa tricked this child into becoming his brother, it would be normal for him to investigate his background and modify the information. Moreover, although this child looked Japanese, he was not necessarily found by Grappa in the country. It would be difficult even for Ikaros to trace his true background, not to mention that he was busy saving people and investigating the organization every day.

He couldn't help but look at the photo of Hikari Natsukawa again, comparing it with the Hiro in his memory, but found that they might not be that similar. Hiro's eyes seemed to be more upturned, rounder, and as smart as a cat...

After all, I should find a chance to go and see it myself! Amuro Toru finally decided that he was doing it for work, to confirm the boy's situation and whether he was threatened by Grappa or something like that.

The blond man felt happy after making up his mind, but soon restrained his expression. He looked up at the door that Huanhuan had opened, and a man wrapped in a bandage walked in, his cold eyes dark.