176

In the quiet and mysterious courtyard of the building, servants in black were moving back and forth without making any sound, and in the room in the corner outside, a servant in the same attire was cleaning the room that had temporarily belonged to Grappa. Strictly speaking, there was nothing to pack except a few sets of clothes to change, but when he picked up a shirt, a metal ring-shaped object fell out of his pocket - it was a ring.

The servant stood there in a daze, his eyes flickering with emotion. After a moment, he bent down stiffly, picked up the ring, and clenched it tightly in his fist.

———

"Teacher, do you think brainwashing is reversible?"

This conversation took place not long ago. After Noel had proven that there was nothing wrong with his brain, he asked the witch this question without disguising it.

"What are you thinking about, Noel?"

Bermode's aquamarine eyes looked at the man opposite her tenderly, but her words were full of sarcasm, "Do you need me to make an appointment for you to see a psychiatrist?"

"sure."

Noel smiled and replied, holding the screwdriver he had just received from the bartender without adding alcohol in his hand, and said lightly: "I still want to understand something about the brain."

At that time, he finally hacked into some of the detailed information of the laboratory and determined that the brainwashing of the organization was mainly based on hypnosis combined with drugs. Although in scientific theory, excessive drugs are doomed to irreparable damage to the brain, it is also theoretically impossible to make the brainwashed people understand complex language under such circumstances. So, is it science...

But from a scientific point of view, artificial intelligence can generate emotions, so it should be okay to help a brainwashed person regain consciousness for a moment.

But don't be impatient.

Noel returned to the yard again and memorized the appearance of each servant. This was a bit difficult for a person with prosopagnosia who once could not integrate into the world, but it seemed possible for a painter who had learned to observe his surroundings carefully.

Remember, draw it, compare it with the investigation data, and finally confirm the identity.

Then pick topics related to their experiences and make some simple probes that would not arouse suspicion even if they were overheard.

So he asked the children who were killed by the organization about their favorite cartoon, and asked about the places that people who yearned for freedom and dreamed of becoming travelers had longed to visit. In short, those who could be completely brainwashed and still stay in the yard must have values ​​and rebelled for something, such as friends, lovers, dreams or companions. There must be something worth their risking their lives to rebel against.

Finally, he saw a touch of emotion in a familiar man, the man who was forced to kill his lover because of defection when investigating Bermode.

Maybe it was because the hatred was deep enough, or maybe it was because the man who was able to become a partner with Bermode and obtain a code name had a good will, or maybe it was because the effects of the drugs faded away a little under the long washing of time. In short, no matter what the specific reason was, when Noel mentioned the topic of lovers seemingly inadvertently, there was a subtle emotional fluctuation, which was captured by Noel.

So that day came, Noel looked at the man and finally said, "Go and tidy up the room for me."

When he got the diamond ring, he should have also found the note in his clothes. Even if the other party finally chose to report it... Thanks to Dr. Agasa's previous invention, a material similar to an anesthetic needle, which will melt in a few seconds when it comes into contact with the air. Although Noel's suspicion does not require clear evidence, after confirming that he can easily accept the worst outcome, he acted a little more recklessly.

But so far, everything is going according to plan.

———

USA, New York Base

"It's a pity. I didn't expect these two were undercover agents." Noel narrowed his eyes and looked at the two distorted figures hanging in the interrogation room before him. He said to Joseph beside him without any regrets.

"I didn't expect..." Joseph frowned. It was not because the scene before him was too bloody and cruel, but the fact that the two confidants he had secretly met yesterday were both undercover agents was completely beyond his expectation.

But... the evidence that the other party in the intelligence network was connected with the CIA was conclusive. Unless the entire intelligence network was deceived and the CIA cooperated, there was no way to explain the innocence of these two members. Thinking of some of the previously leaked intelligence, Joseph gradually accepted this result. His mental quality was strong enough, and he quickly adjusted his mentality and looked at a man next to him.

Joseph once suspected this member who had just joined the organization, but now it seems that the two undercover agents may have discovered his suspicion and intended to use each other as scapegoats. The CIA people are indeed worse than criminal organizations, but this is very American, so Joseph was surprisingly easy to accept.

But he really didn't expect it was them. At this time, Joseph was already a little scared and even glad for Grappa's arrival. After all, he was the only one who knew that these two people had been secretly trained by him as his right-hand men. Fortunately, it was not too late. There must be some things that they had not had time to report back to the CIA, otherwise things would be really troublesome.

"Richard, I'll leave their work to you from now on."

Joseph turned his head to look at the man who had now been cleared of suspicion, and soon noticed that the other party's body was a little stiff. He felt unhappy for a moment, but then he understood. It was probably because of this weak character that the other party was targeted by the two undercover agents. He was hesitant in killing people in the previous missions. However, this was just a normal reaction. It was because of this that the other party was able to save his life at the critical moment before. But isn't it just right? What he wants to train are subordinates rather than successors. Some weaknesses are easier to control.

Noel glanced at Joseph, who was obviously going through a lot, and felt amused.

It is convenient that people who think they are smart always believe in the logic they come up with.

"Then congratulations to this person." Grappa's voice sounded a little impatient, as if the casual congratulations were just to quickly end the topic, but his words also confirmed the person Joseph had targeted in his anger.

Richard, who was suddenly called, was blank for two seconds, then he immediately reacted and nodded respectfully to accept the order, taking over the jobs of these two people, which basically meant he became the second-in-command of the New York base. For a member who had just joined the organization a few months ago and had just received a code name, this was undoubtedly a godsend.

It is even worse for an undercover agent who has just joined and is sent by the CIA.

Even as an elite selected through layers of screening, Richard never thought he would be able to make it this far so quickly. He even thought that his performance was doomed to expose his identity. He was prepared to drag a few people down with him in the end and try his best not to leak any information. But in the end...it seems like he was promoted to the second-in-command?

“Bang—bang—”

After this secret transfer of power was completed, Noel decisively shot the two dying men twice, ending their lives, and the unwillingness and hatred in their eyes sank into silence.

"Now that it's done, shall we leave today?" Noel turned his head and glanced at the servant in black beside him, or to be more precise, he looked at the brooch-like invisible camera on the servant's suit.

The big piece of trash was sitting on the side watching and chattering into the headset all the time. Obviously, with this sentence, Noel was asking the big piece of trash for his opinion.

"Master Grappa, why don't you rest for one more night..."

"Grappa, you did a good job. Have a good rest tonight, and pass on my previous orders..."

The two voices intertwined in Noel's mind, making him feel annoyed. Joseph, who was standing next to him, received a murderous look from an angle that the invisible camera could not see. However, just as he felt a chill in his body and wondered if his words were offensive, he heard the other party say, "Okay then."

"Also, I need to convey an order from the boss."

Noel paused after saying this, and Joseph immediately understood and asked the people around him to retreat. However, to his surprise, the two guards who had been following Grappa like robots were still standing there. But before he could think about anything, Grappa's next sentence surprised him even more.

"The boss has ordered that all base managers must secretly go to the headquarters."

"But this..."

Joseph was about to say something when he looked up and met Grappa's cold expression.

"That's an order."

Joseph could only accept that the other party had found the undercover agent in just two days after coming here, and his performance was quite restrained other than that. However, Grappa, who had seen the other party's appearance before, didn't dare to bet whether the other party had really cultivated his character or was just wearing a human shell and was still a monster in his bones who would kill his own people at any time.

But why did the boss suddenly give this order?

Norzes didn't worry about the other party thinking too much. The Big Trash's camera was right here, and everything she did was just following orders. The tougher she acted, the more satisfied the Big Trash would be. Explanations... were not necessary at all.

Noel was not surprised by the sudden order from Big Trash. During this period, various official organizations have gradually intensified their crackdown on criminal organizations. Any organization that is a little more sober knows that it is time to hold back.

As a well-known criminal organization that has been lurking in the dark for many years, it is now doomed to fail. It is inevitable that it will become the primary target of the government. Big Trash has also seen this and is preparing to change the direction of the organization's development, such as retiring from the underworld or something...

It's so funny, Noel sneered in his heart.

If you can wash away the blood that has been welded to your hands, what kind of hell do you need?