·29｜Exclusive from Jinjiang·29
Kazami and her assistant.
"Shall we find a place to sit down and talk?"
Rei Furuya smiled kindly, but his purplish-gray eyes were clear and firm, brooking no refusal.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan stood still, only glancing at the upper right corner of her vision—where there was a countdown timer, the cooldown time for her skill "Don't Move." She couldn't use the skill again until the number reached zero.
Yomi Laichuan wasn't too keen on talking to Rei Furuya; that blond bastard had planted a GPS tracker in her phone. It was likely he was the one who had put the bug in her bag in the first place.
But... Yomi Lai carefully reviewed the character labels given to Rei Furuya by the central system in her mind and wisely chose not to resist—she did not think she was a match for the "overpowered" Rei Furuya.
Having readily agreed to Furuya Rei's request for a meeting, Yomi Laichuan waited alone at the alley entrance for the white car he had mentioned, as instructed by Furuya Rei. But the moment she opened the passenger door to get in, Yomi Laichuan stared at the man in the driver's seat, her eyes meeting his, and fell silent.
In the driver's seat, a man-like figure had his face covered with a long white cloth, revealing only a pair of excessively small eyes and round-framed glasses.
Yomi Laichuan: ...?
Lai Chuan Huang Quan froze as he tried to get into the car. He took two steps back, walked around to the front of the car, and checked the license plate number twice more.
It's definitely this car, but the driver... is he from Saudi Arabia? Even in Saudi Arabia, I've only ever heard of women not showing their faces when they go out; this is the first time I've heard of men covering their faces.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan stiffly sat in the passenger seat, mechanically fastened her seatbelt, and silently moved her buttocks away from the driver.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan sat upright with her back straight. Her muscles were tense, and her gaze kept drifting towards the driver's seat—she had a feeling that the driver was a pervert.
Kazami Yuya, who was mistaken for a pervert for the second time, fared no better. Just minutes before, he was leisurely munching on a hamburger in his car, waiting for instructions, when he suddenly received a call from Mr. Furuya, asking him to pick up Yomi Raikawa and take her to the Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau.
The familiar name sent a shiver down his spine, and a phantom pain began to emanate from somewhere.
Yuya Kazami understands Mr. Furuya's difficulties.
Every time Mr. Furuya went to the Public Security Bureau, he had to circle around the Metropolitan Police Department many times, repeatedly confirming that he had avoided everyone's attention, before quietly entering the Metropolitan Police Department through the underground parking lot's emergency exit. But if it were Kazami Yuya, he could simply drive Yomi Yorikawa along the main road. This would both avoid revealing Furuya Rei's route and save time.
But Kazami Yuya really didn't want to face Yomi Yorikawa!
After hanging up the phone, Kazami Yuya, unusually, did not immediately carry out the mission. Instead, he rushed into a clothing store on the street, bought several white T-shirts, tore them into pieces, and wrapped his face completely.
The drive from the alley to the Metropolitan Police Department was only half an hour, but to Kazami Yuya, it felt like several years had passed. He kept telling himself not to look back at Yomi Yorikawa, but he couldn't help but secretly observe Yomi Yorikawa's reaction through the rearview mirror.
Tokyo was a bit chilly at the end of the year. The car's air conditioning was set to 28°C, constantly blowing warm but not scorching air into the two of them. But Kazami Yu felt inexplicably cold, goosebumps crawling all over his body. He suddenly shivered, attracting the scrutinizing gaze of Yomi Raikawa in the passenger seat, which made him feel even colder.
Kazami Yuya was so nervous that his heart was pounding in his throat, and his eardrums were thumping. He swallowed several times, praying silently, fearing that Raikawa Yomi would ask him to remove the cloth strip from his face.
Intuition told Kazami Yuya that if Yomi Yorikawa saw his face, the consequences would be dire.
Fortunately, Yomi Lai did not ask Yuya Kazami to show his face; he simply looked him up and down with disdain.
If the central system hadn't openly told Yomi Lai that "Rei Furuya is a Japanese public security officer and a good person," she probably would have turned and run away on the spot when she saw the man in the driver's seat with his face covered up like a pervert.
The white car slowly drove into the parking lot. Lai Chuan Huang Quan turned to look at the man in the driver's seat who was about to get out of the car, and raised an eyebrow: "Are you planning to go to the Metropolitan Police Department like this?"
Kazami Yuya paused in his action of pushing the car door open. He stared intently at his reflection in the rearview mirror, lost in thought. This was the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, a place that gathered more than 70% of Japan's elite police officers. It was highly unlikely that Yomi Raikawa could beat him up in front of all those elite officers, but he would most likely be beaten up first by his colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department, who would think he was a pervert.
His lips twitched twice, and Kazami Yuya remained in the position of opening the car door, caught in a dilemma. Should he tear off the cloth strip from his face now and get beaten up by Raikawa Yomi, or should he not tear off the cloth strip and get beaten up by his colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Department?
But regardless of the type, he will most likely never be able to shake off the label of "pervert".
His brain was racing, but he couldn't come up with a solution. Kazami Yuya, as if struck by lightning, met Yomi Raikawa's questioning gaze, barely daring to breathe. The atmosphere became tense and awkward, a thin layer of sweat forming on Kazami Yuya's forehead, trickling down his forehead and chin.
Just as Kazami Yuya was about to give up in despair, Furuya Rei appeared in the parking lot like a god descending to earth: "Ms. Raikawa, please come with me."
Only then did Yomi Laichuan finally deign to shift her attention away from Yuya Kazami. She glanced at Rei Furuya, then looked back at Yuya Kazami, frowned slightly, hesitated for a moment, and then chose to leave with Rei Furuya.
The empty parking lot was filled only with the sound of heels on the concrete. Yomi Lai followed beside Rei Furuya as they walked further and further away.
Only after Yomi Laichuan completely disappeared from Kazami Yuya's sight did he slump into the driver's seat with a sense of relief. His adrenaline surged, the temperature of his fingertips dropped to almost zero, and his back was soaked with cold sweat, leaving irregular watermarks on his white shirt.
Kazami Yuya slumped like a rotten shrimp, slowly exhaling a breath: "I'm saved..."
To Kazami Yuya, the figure of Mr. Furuya leaving the parking lot with Yomi Raikawa was more imposing than ever before, even radiating a golden holy light. Little did Kazami Yuya know that in the near future, Yomi Raikawa would become Furuya Rei's assistant. Truly difficult days were lurking at the crossroads of fate, excitedly beckoning to Kazami Yuya.
Meanwhile, Furuya Rei led Yomi Laichuan through a maze of paths, avoiding all the crowds. As they stepped onto a long, secluded corridor leading to the Ministry of Public Security, Furuya Rei stopped. He didn't smile, but turned back to the woman behind him, who had been glancing around intently, with a serious expression: "Ms. Laichuan, everything you see and hear from now on must be kept strictly confidential. Do you understand?"
"Yes, I understand."
"Due to the special nature of our department, I need you to temporarily hand over your phone for safekeeping, is that alright?"
Lai Chuan Huang Quan glanced at Furuya Rei: "Okay."
Then Furuya Rei left Yomi Yorikawa alone in a small office with hidden cameras.
"Sorry, something came up and I need to take care of it. Please wait here for me; I'll be done as soon as possible."
Rei Furuya apologized repeatedly, his brows furrowed, his sincerity unwavering. He gently closed the door, immediately suppressing his smile, and turned to enter the next room.
Lai Chuan Huang Quan's phone was locked with a password. After handing the phone to his colleague who specialized in electronics, Furuya Rei sat in front of the monitor in the next room and carefully observed Lai Chuan Huang Quan's every move.
Ordinary people would be very reserved when brought to a special place like the Ministry of Public Security. Lai Chuan Huang Quan sat alone in a corner, looking around from time to time, which did show her unease, but she was more at ease than the others, as if she was ready to escape at any moment.
In the video, Lai Chuan Huang Quan first rested her chin on her hands and stared blankly for a while, then scratched her fluffy bangs a couple of times and rubbed her ears. Seemingly getting tired of waiting, Lai Chuan Huang Quan bent her arms, leaned her whole body on the table, and hid the lower half of her face in the crook of her arms.
"Administrator," Yomi Lai whispered, "Is Rei Furuya checking my phone?"
Just now, she secretly tapped her earlobe twice while scratching her hair and ear.
"He handed the phone over to professionals, who estimated it would only take a few minutes to crack."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan tilted his head and complained in a low voice, "Administrator, you're really unreliable. When did Furuya Rei start tracking me?"
The administrator remained silent for a moment without replying.
"Stop playing dead. Tell me how many times you've messed up," Lai Chuan Huang Quan said, puffing out his cheeks. "You were so reliable in the previous worlds, but in this world, you've become even less reliable than me."
First, they threw her into an alleyway right on the timeline of her death, where she was discovered by the mission target, and then there were repeated intelligence errors.
"Number 1107, I won't hurt you, you know that."
"I know you won't hurt me, but this is just too unreliable."
The administrator remained silent again before explaining:
"I need to oversee a lot of employees at the same time, and right now I have three employees working on post-apocalyptic missions, so I need to focus most of my energy on them."
"I know, I know," Lai Chuan Huang Quan muttered softly, "After all, it's an ordinary 21st century that has failed three times, so it's understandable that the Administration is unwilling to invest any more effort."
That's why they forced her, a demoted employee, to come over.
Just as Lai Chuan Huang Quan was about to ask another question, the door behind him was suddenly pushed open.
Furuya Rei, holding a stack of documents, sat down opposite Yomi Laichuan with a smile. He took off the hoodie he had worn when he met Yomi Laichuan in the alley and put on a gray suit.
Rei Furuya was already handsome, with blond hair and dark skin, making him a unique presence among good-looking men. Now, wearing a well-tailored, high-end suit, he exuded even more charm, like a bottle of fine wine hidden in a French vineyard, waiting to be uncorked.
Rei Furuya got straight to the point: "Let me reintroduce myself. I am Tooru Amuro, from the Japanese Public Security Bureau. We have thoroughly investigated your case."
Yomi Lai rested her chin on her hand, listlessly glancing back at Rei Furuya, and silently rolled her eyes inwardly. She asked, "All of them?"
Rei Furuya smiled calmly: "Yes, all of them."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan raised an eyebrow: "For example?"
Rei Furuya smiled and said, "It's not something I can easily reveal."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan changed to resting her chin on her hands, leaning forward and pressing against Furuya Rei, her eyes meeting his without blinking: "You didn't say it directly because you only know a little bit, right? You deliberately obscured the key information, trying to put psychological pressure on me while trying to extract more information."
Now it was Furuya Reiichi's turn to be speechless. It wasn't that he hadn't encountered people who saw through their questioning routines before, but those old hands had all chosen to play games and talk their way out of things. Yomi Raikawa was the first to directly expose the truth like this.
His face remained expressionless, but his mind raced, meticulously recalling everything about Raikawa Yomi. Then, he calmly said, "For example, pausing time, and... hitting someone on the head."
Yomi Yomi: !!!
Her pupils contracted and trembled, as if a giant wave had crashed against the rocks on the shore, creating a surging spray that roared in her ears. Only then did Yomi Laichuan clearly realize Rei Furuya's strength. As expected of the man marked as an "intelligence genius" by the central system, he was more observant than anyone she had ever encountered in any other world.
Yomi Lai didn't reply, but her rapidly changing pupils betrayed her inner panic and turmoil to Rei Furuya. He leaned closer to her—a physical gesture often used during interrogations to exert pressure: "Ms. Lai, according to our investigation, you're being targeted by some people, which is very dangerous. I personally suggest you sign an agreement with the Public Security Bureau to become their assistant. In return, we will guarantee your personal safety."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan pursed her lips, then raised a hand to rub her earlobe: "Someone's watching me?"
Rei Furuya nodded: "Yes, so we hope Ms. Yorikawa will cooperate. We will take responsibility for your safety."
Meanwhile, the administrator also provided the answer:
"Yes, someone is definitely watching you."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan clicked his tongue, his face full of anxiety: "Who is it?"
Rei Furuya frowned and said seriously, "The other party is an extremely dangerous terrorist organization, and we are still investigating the details."
Then he gave her a reassuring smile, reached out and took Lai Chuan Huang Quan's arm, trying to give her support and strength: "But Miss Lai Chuan, please rest assured, we will protect you 24 hours a day and will never let you get hurt in the slightest."
Rei Furuya's eyes were sharp as an eagle's. He grasped Yomi's hand, confident of his victory. But to his surprise, the administrator from another dimension gave him a completely different answer:
—"The man in front of you is the one who's eyeing you."
Lai Chuan Huang Quan looked at: "..."
Her gaze towards Rei Furuya instantly became subtle.
The administrator continued to add insult to injury:
"Whether you agree or not, Rei Furuya will send people to follow and investigate you. The only difference is whether they follow you secretly using shady methods or investigate you openly under the guise of close protection."
With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Lai Chuan Huang Quan uttered a single syllable of utter disgust: "Tsk."
Unaware that he had been betrayed, Furuya Rei, who maintained his warm smile, paused, a question mark slowly appearing in his eyes. It couldn't be his imagination; for a moment just now, Yomi Laichuan's gaze towards him was filled with disgust and contempt, as if he were looking at something dirty.
But Furuya Rei couldn't understand—had he given himself away? Why did Yomi Yorikawa suddenly look down on him?
Lai Chuan Huang Quan frowned, tilting her head to look at the pale, undecorated wall to the side. She muttered to herself, "Do you think I should cooperate with the Ministry of Public Security?"
"Personally, I prefer cooperation, firstly..."
Rei Furuya thoroughly analyzed the pros and cons of the cooperation. He seemed to be speaking earnestly and considering Yomi Laichuan's interests in every way, but in reality, every sentence he said was implying the good of the Ministry of Public Security and constantly trying to induce Yomi Laichuan to become his assistant.
The administrator, after a moment of silence, offered a more neutral answer:
"It's up to you. If you can successfully gain Rei Furuya's trust, he will become a powerful asset in your relief missions, and you can also obtain more intelligence through him. But I personally suggest not cooperating with him."
"Um?"
Yomi Lai was puzzled. If Rei Furuya was really as strong as the administrator said, shouldn't she be clinging to him?
—"Because Rei Furuya is a workaholic. He can sleep only four hours a day and spend the rest of his time working. Once you establish a working relationship, you'll become a free overtime dog."
Yomi Laichuan: ...?
Sorry, I might not have heard you quite clearly.
Admin, you just said that Rei Furuya spends how many hours a day working?
20 hours?!
[Author's Note]
Kazami: This is the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, a place that gathers more than 70% of Japan's elite police officers. Yomi Yorikawa would never be able to beat me up in front of all those elite police officers.
Hagiwara: You're overthinking it. Soft Bread once kicked me in the face in front of many colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department.
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