Chapter 43 Shadowy Intrigue
Just as Jingguang silenced the nagging fans with a pot of cream stew, Zero called in with a video call.
"Kei, how are Hagiwara and Matsuda doing lately?"
"When I delivered the desserts yesterday, Hagiwara seemed to be in pretty good spirits, but... it's not something you can get over in a short time. Matsuda is still in the hospital, but I heard he's fine and just needs to rest."
"Jing, why do you think this has caused such a stir? There have been bigger bombings in Tokyo before, but the public didn't react this strongly then, did they?"
“I have been closely monitoring the online discussions about this recently, and I believe this is a premeditated campaign.”
"You mean the prisoner's decision to escape at this time was aided by others, a coordinated effort from within?"
“Zero, I’m not sure about that yet. What I just said was that this online troll campaign was premeditated. As for whether they just happened to take advantage of the explosion or planned the whole crime, we don’t know yet,” Jingguang explained. “However, when I was chatting with Hagiwara yesterday, he mentioned a special person who might be related to this case.”
Who is it?
"Hisa Kawabata, have you ever heard of this guy, Zero?"
Zero tilted his head and thought for a moment before answering, "I don't remember."
"It's said that Kawahata is a public security officer, a year ahead of us. He was transferred to the archives after being accused of murdering his partner. Hagiwara heard that Kawahata seems to have a strong dislike for his police colleagues and even speaks out for criminals."
"There are actually people like this in the police force?!"
"Rumors are not necessarily credible; there are too many things in this world that are made up out of thin air. But since there is fertile ground for such rumors to grow, there must be a reason behind it. By following the clues, we may be able to uncover the truth of the matter."
"I understand. Hagiwara wants us to help him investigate Kawabata?"
"Hagiwara originally wanted to investigate on his own, but Kawabata was extremely wary and his attitude was very cold from the first meeting, making it impossible to get a word in edgewise."
Zero frowned and said, "In that case, we'll have to use our trump card!"
Just a few days ago I was saying I wanted to find an opportunity to test Conan, and here it is!
"Oh, by the way, Jing, any progress on the D-Lab investigation?"
Jingguang gave him a look that said, "I knew you'd ask this next question." He said, "I haven't found anything about D-Lab itself, but I have heard some other things."
"Oh? Tell me about it."
Jing Guang cleared his throat, not answering directly but instead keeping him in suspense: "Zero, I have a question for you: Why did we come to the organization as undercover agents?"
Zero paused for a moment, then answered honestly, "Because two major cases occurred 17 years ago. One was the murder of the famous shogi player Koji Haneda in the United States, and the other was the murder of two important cabinet members in Japan. The Public Security Bureau initially did not notice the connection between the two cases. However, as the investigation deepened, they discovered the existence of the organization. Therefore, they sent the experienced undercover agent, Senior Senki Ryo, to gather intelligence. Unfortunately, only a year later, Senior Senki Ryo was killed by his enemies, and not long after, the supervisor in charge of the case, Kuroda, was also seriously injured in a fire and fell into a coma. The Public Security Bureau lost track of the organization. It wasn't until 7 years ago that the organization slipped up again, which is why they sent us undercover."
"Well said. So why do you think Akai would want to go undercover?"
Zero pondered for a moment and said, "The Haneda Koji case happened in the United States, so the FBI, as the intelligence agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, must have been aware of it. But Ray joined the organization later than us, right? What has the FBI been doing for the past ten years or so?"
"Let me give you another hint: the large-scale flu outbreak three years ago occurred in the spring. However, the earliest cases of initial infection were discovered as early as the winter of the previous year. What comes to mind when you think about this in relation to the organization?"
"Four years ago? Flu? D-Lab? Undercover agent? Ah, I know, it's CIA undercover agent Ethan Bendou! Could it be that the CIA organized this investigation specifically for the D-Lab case?" Zero suddenly realized but was still confused. "But what does this have to do with the FBI?"
"Zero, you know, the FBI and CIA have never gotten along. Although the FBI is generally responsible for internal affairs and the CIA for external affairs, the two intelligence agencies still inevitably have friction on a regular basis..."
"Jing, you mean the FBI went undercover to find a CIA mole?" Zero asked, looking shocked. "Even if their relationship is bad, they wouldn't come all the way to Japan to fight amongst themselves, would they?"
Jingguang sighed and explained, "The real situation is definitely much more complicated than that. According to Akai, the FBI has sent a lot of undercover agents into the organization over the past ten years. But as far as he is concerned, his mission was indeed to first uncover the CIA."
"Why dig it up? To intercept intelligence?"
"I don't know about that. Lai hasn't found the person yet, and unfortunately, Senior Bentang's identity has been exposed. So Lai's mission has become to stay in the organization and wait for orders."
"But it still feels so outrageous..." Zero complained. "Jing, you just said that the FBI has sent out a lot of undercover agents?"
"Akai only heard about this secondhand, and I suspect he didn't tell me the whole truth either."
"I want to hear it too!"
Seeing Ling's coquettish expression, Jingguang smiled helplessly and said, "Okay, but the following are all my speculations, and I can't guarantee their accuracy!"
Zero nodded excitedly.
"You and I both know that the organization is a gold mine; you can dig up gold with any shovel, so there is absolutely no shortage of money."
Zero agrees with this.
It's important to know that the salaries of employees in the organization are quite high. Their basic monthly salary alone is more than ten times higher than that of ordinary police officers, not to mention the various generous bonuses and benefits.
To give a simple example, Rum once gave Bourbon a "small gift" worth 100 million yen.
While such things are not uncommon in organizations, they are by no means unusual.
People may be envious, but their feelings are still within the realm of common sense.
"Based on the intelligence we've accumulated over the years, the organization has been operating since the last century, engaging in various transnational criminal activities for decades. Assassinations and money laundering are minor matters; they also manipulate the economy, trade, and even politics by cultivating relationships with powerful figures from all walks of life. Yet, such a massive criminal syndicate remained undetected by various countries until Rum, the second-in-command, made a mistake during an operation, which brought the organization to the surface. There must be something fishy going on here, right?"
"Could it be that various countries have long been aware of the organization's existence, but have found it difficult to take action due to the power of criminal elements and the complex interests involved?"
"Leaving aside the specifics of other countries, the organization's headquarters are in Japan. No one knows better than you or me when the Public Security Bureau began investigating this matter, right?"
Zero fell into deep thought and asked, "So, Jing, what do you think is the root of all this?"
"Their secretive operations, swift and clean actions, and superb disguises, leaving the police with no useful evidence... these are certainly reasons, but I don't think they are the main ones. For a criminal organization to thrive in the long run, simply operating a gambling operation is far from enough. Has Zero ever considered that since the organization can use money to win over businessmen, celebrities, and politicians, why can't it use money to bribe the police?"
"Jing means... a mole?"
"It's possible the organization planted a mole in the police force, but that's difficult and time-consuming. A simpler method would be to directly bribe some long-term partners. It might not even be a mole; given the organization's cautious nature, they wouldn't necessarily reveal all their secrets. They might just fabricate some excuse, pretending to need something from someone, and use money to shut the police up."
"Like hush money?"
"Or you could call it protection money! Anyway, for the organization, anything that can be solved with money isn't a problem."
"But this isn't a long-term solution, is it? There are upright and incorruptible people among the police, and what if there are personnel changes or a new officer takes office..."
"That's the problem. Akai once told me that because of the Haneda Koji case, the FBI and CIA were in a bloodbath overnight, as was MI6 in the UK. The reason was that the case implicated high-ranking officials involved in bribery, which led to various power struggles and infighting among interest groups, resulting in a long period of internal purging within the police force before the incident came to an end. During those years, various forces sent out numerous undercover agents to make money..."
"Wait a minute, making money?"
"Yes, because the benefits and treatment in the organization are much better than those of the police. Word spreads quickly, and many people are eager to join! Moreover, once you uncover valuable clues, you have the opportunity to rise through the ranks and even eliminate your rivals. As long as you are willing to gamble with your life, if you win, it's a sure-fire way to make a fortune. But unfortunately, the vast majority of people end up as cannon fodder."
"So the organization infiltrated the police force first, and only when it was exposed did it attract countless undercover agents. Does that mean the organization attracted all the undercover agents itself?" Zero chuckled.
However, upon closer reflection, Zero did not believe that this was a miscalculation on the part of that gentleman.
Just as Jing Guang said, the organization has no shortage of money.
If money can buy "long-term stability," why not do it?
If Rum hadn't made a mistake, the organization would probably have remained a legend in both the underworld and the legitimate world, continuing to hide away!
"Jing, but why hasn't this happened in Japan? Logically speaking, shouldn't Japan be the place with the greatest organizational influence and the most bribe-takers?"
Jing Guang gave the other person a meaningful look and asked, "What do you think?"
Zero broke out in a cold sweat: "Jing, do you mean that the Haneda Koji case 17 years ago led to the downfall of bribe-takers in Britain and the United States, but those in Japan remained unscathed?"
"I think that possibility exists."
So, just how large is this group?
How much power and resources do they actually control?
“Zero, there’s something I want to say…” Jing Guang suddenly spoke up, his expression hesitant.
"What's up?"
"Yes, it's about prisoners escaping from prison."
"Kawahata?"
"No, no, I've also found someone else. Perhaps this isn't just about the prison break, but honestly, I'm not sure, because it's just too..."
Seeing the other person's incoherent speech, Ling became suspicious and, relying on their years of tacit understanding, asked, "Jing thinks the prison break is related to an inside man, right? Who did you find out?"
Kagemitsu let out a long sigh and slowly said, "It's... Kazami."
"That's impossible!"
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