Chapter 48 He was tough and arrogant, and tricked people out of the trap.
The room was empty.
The television program was still playing; Japanese late-night channels are known for their explicit content, and the male and female hosts were telling some risqué jokes.
All the other doors in the room were closed. Matsuda Jinpei cautiously searched each room one by one, but ultimately found nothing.
Where are they? Could they have already left?
They left with the door open and the TV on?
Instead of feeling relieved, Matsuda Jinpei became even angrier. What a bastard! China had already gone abroad, yet the door was left wide open. What if a thief or someone else broke in?
After taking off his coat and hanging it on the coat rack in the entryway, Matsuda Jinpei turned off the TV and went into the guest room.
The Invisible Takanashi Yuusei: ? ? ?
Why aren't you leaving yet? Why are you already in the guest room?
Takanashi Yuusei, who had originally planned to stay here after seeing Matsuda Jinpei off, was in a state of disarray.
"Are you there?" Matsuda Jinpei suddenly stared in the direction where Takanashi Yuki was standing.
The little bird was startled and froze in place, motionless.
It wasn't that he didn't want to hide, but he wasn't very skilled with magic. Apart from luck magic, he had learned all the others after he came out. He could normally move freely after casting invisibility magic, but as a novice, he didn't dare to move at all. If he moved even slightly, the magic would fail.
"Hagi, are you back?" Matsuda Jinpei felt the gaze but didn't see anyone.
He instinctively walked towards the direction of the tatami matsutake and reached out to touch it.
No, no, no!
Takanashi Yuki watched in horror as the hand rapidly approached her body. "Don't touch it! If I do, I'll give myself away!"
"Clap"
A slight sound suddenly came from the doorway.
Matsuda Jinpei was startled and quickly retreated behind the sofa. That pervert is back again? This time, he absolutely cannot be let off!
Takanashi Yuki breathed a sigh of relief, a thin layer of sweat appearing on her forehead.
The door opened, and the light in the room seemed to startle the visitor, so no one entered for a long time.
Matsuda Jinpei didn't move; he could sense that the person was still outside.
"China-chan, are you home?" A familiar voice suddenly came from outside the door.
Matsuda Jinpei's eyes widened, and his mouth opened wide, but he quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
"I have a mission tomorrow and I'd like to report to you about it." Scotland made up an excuse; the lock-picking was no longer a cover-up, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and get away with it.
Matsuda Jinpei seemed to snap out of his daze after that remark, but his eyes became even sharper.
It was indeed Master Jing. He had indeed gone on a secret mission, so he had joined the same organization as Qian Nai and become her subordinate? But wait, this wasn't a mission report. Mission reports didn't involve picking locks in the middle of the night.
Even the invisible Takanashi Yuki twitched her lips. That guy outside really couldn't come up with a good excuse. He could even force himself to say such a clumsy lie.
“Um… shall I go in?” Scotland called out softly again.
Finally, his men moved from the shadows into the light.
To avoid security, he wore a dark outfit, but it was too conspicuous under the lights. Seemingly embarrassed, Scotland stroked his stubble and peered into the room with a pleading look.
Nobody's here.
The room seemed completely empty.
Scott's expression froze. So, Takanashi Chinatsu isn't here? And there's no one else in the room?
Looking up, Scotland's bewildered blue eyes met the hexagonal crystal chandelier on the roof.
The incandescent light was so bright that it slightly distorted the color of his eyes.
Is there really no one here?
Scotland peeked around discreetly and quickly made her way to the bedroom.
Matsuda Jinpei was startled and quickly and quietly moved, using the sofa as cover to circle around and get to a position where Scotland couldn't see him.
But Scotland quickly circled back, and Matsuda Jinpei hurriedly circled back again, only to see Scotland place his hand on the television.
Oh no!
Matsuda Jinpei and Takanashi Yuki were both taken aback.
Scotland's expression changed as well; the television was off, meaning someone had just been in the room.
Who is it? Didn't they say Black Cherry left the country during the day today?
It couldn't be a thief. A thief might break in to steal things, but they wouldn't turn on the lights or have time to watch TV.
The TV was on low heat, but he couldn't see anyone. Something was wrong.
Scotland acted decisively, kicking the door shut and blocking the entrance, cutting off any thought of sneaking out.
"Come out." Scotland knew that his presence had already given him away, so he couldn't run away; he had no choice but to force the other party out.
Regardless of whether the other party was someone left behind by Qian Nai, he would only have a chance to explain if he forced them to. If the other party had not yet sent out the message, he could also completely silence them.
Scotland's expression was stern, revealing a ruthless side within the organization.
"Come out!" Scotland shouted again when no one showed up, and clenched his pistol.
Matsuda Jinpei was hiding behind the sofa. The Scottish attack had already made him very nervous. He knew that he couldn't avoid it no matter what. He sighed and shouted from behind the sofa, "Don't shoot."
Scotland tightened his grip on the gun, his eyes momentarily glazed over.
That sound...that sound seems to be...
Matsuda Jinpei stood up from behind the sofa.
Matsuda!
Scotland was incredulous; it really was Matsuda. How could he be at Black Cherry's house?
"Who are you?" Maintaining his persona, Scotland coldly pointed his gun at Matsuda Jinpei.
Matsuda Jinpei's lips twitched, but he had no choice but to play along, and said straightforwardly, "I'm a corrupt cop bribed by Black Cherry, here to help her look after the house."
Scotland:……
Silence, silence is Scotland today.
Matsuda Jinpei, however, looked completely innocent, even giving Scotland a helpless look.
What else could he say? Claim he's Black Cherry's friend? Please, Master Jing has a gun; a policeman like him can't just ignore that, can he?
But if he were to take action, how would he do it? Was he supposed to handcuff his colleagues and arrest them himself?
Matsuda Jinpei was also at a loss. He had wanted to contact Master Jing and the others about the black cherry matter for a long time, but he didn't expect it to happen under these circumstances.
You think I'll believe you just because you say so?
"If you don't believe me, you can send a message to Black Cherry to confirm."
Scotland, of course, did not send a message. Although he did not understand the current situation, he did not want to make it worse.
Both of them had some acting skills, and their words were carefully considered, but this was all to guard against people secretly spying on them or monitoring them with devices. Although Takanashi Yuki could also be considered a spy, since the two of them couldn't see him, they were practically staring right at their performance.
A twitching mouth, flickering eyes, and mutual helplessness.
He saw it all.
These two know each other!
Almost immediately, Takanashi Yuki had an answer in her heart, and her gaze on Scotland became meaningful.
Daisuke Nishima refused to tell him who the mole was, but now he's found out anyway, hasn't he? It was so easy.
"Can you put down your gun? I'm not your enemy." Matsuda Jinpei took out his gun first and placed it on the cabinet, then stepped back a few paces.
Scotland also put away his gun, looking at his contemporaries with mixed feelings.
No, how did you two meet?
It's one thing to know each other, but to become so close as to enter someone's home? Black Cherry has gone abroad, and you actually came to watch over the house?
How many lives are involved? They dare to mess with people from that organization? Are they asking for trouble?
"You and Black Cherry have a good relationship?" Scotland stared at Matsuda Jinpei for a long time before finally speaking.
“We have a very good relationship,” Matsuda Jinpei said candidly.
It's true.
Scotland immediately realized that this was not a lie, but wouldn't it be even stranger if it wasn't a lie?
Why are you, a police officer, hanging out with Black Cherry instead of doing your job properly? You even know her code name, so doesn't that mean you know about the organization too?
If it weren't for his complete trust in Matsuda, Scotland would have genuinely believed that the other party was a corrupt cop.
There was silence between them, and yet there was still silence between them.
The two hadn't seen each other for a long time and had so much to say, yet they remained silent.
Takanashi Yuki was getting a little bored and even wanted to yawn when he heard Matsuda Jinpei speak again.
"I came here tonight mainly to catch a pervert who sneaks into Qiannai's house when she's not around."
Takanashi, Perverted, Rebirth: ...
Suger sneaked in while Qiannai was away. Lan: ...
Both of them felt a tightness in their chests, as if they had been stabbed.
"Did they catch them?" Scotland's feelings were even more complicated.
"Not yet, he ran away again, but the car is downstairs. I'll go down and detain him. I won't let him escape again." Matsuda Jinpei's eyes were practically spitting fire.
Takanashi Yuki pursed his lips. He was so pitiful; he was going to lose his beloved car so soon.
It doesn't matter, though. The car was bought by Gin and wasn't registered in his name, so no matter how Matsuda Jinpei investigated, he couldn't find out.
I need to buy a new car. I wonder if Gin will reimburse me for this expense.
"And you? Reporting on a mission so late at night?" Matsuda Jinpei's hawk-like eyes fixed on Scotland.
Scotland:……
I always felt that at some point, Matsuda Jinpei thought he was a pervert.
But he still forced a smile and said, "Yes."
Matsuda Jinpei's lips twitched. He really dared to say that. Mr. Jing, your skin is too thick. You even tell such a lie!
Relying on the fact that Matsuda Jinpei couldn't really expose him, Scotland stubbornly endured his rebuking gaze.
"She's not here, you can report it via email."
"I know, I'm leaving now." Scotland couldn't wait to leave.
"Wait!" Matsuda Jinpei called out to him, took out his phone and waved it, saying, "Let's add each other's contact information."
Scotland hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.
"We all work under Black Cherry, can't we exchange contact information?" Matsuda Jinpei emphasized, clearly harboring resentment.
He lost contact after graduation. Can't you at least give him a way to contact you? He wouldn't just call and bother you randomly.
“Of course.” Scotland reluctantly gave him the number.
Matsuda Jinpei made a call directly, and was only satisfied when the Scottish phone rang. He smiled and said, "Save my number, just save the corrupt cop."
Scotland was completely bewildered, but ultimately followed Matsuda Jinpei's advice and saved the "corrupt cop" information. What else could they do? Saving a name would make them more likely to be exposed!
Haha... corrupt cops...
Hahaha... Matsuda Jinpei...
Stepping out of Takanashi Chika's house, Scotland gritted his teeth inwardly, "Matsuda, you'd better give me a reasonable explanation!"
Matsuda Jinpei breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Scotland off. His mouth was dry from a long day at work, and he went to the kitchen to pour himself a glass of water when he suddenly saw a figure brush past him out of the corner of his eye.
1.9 meters tall, gray hair!
Perverted and lewd man!
"Don't run!" Matsuda Jinpei smashed the cup down hard.
But the other party was extremely fast, and even crashed through the window, jumping from a height of more than ten stories.
Matsuda Jinpei was stunned and quickly ran to the window to look down.
"What happened?" Scotland rushed in again when he heard the commotion.
"That pervert jumped off a building!"
Scotland was even more shocked and quickly ran downstairs, but found nothing except a few pieces of broken glass.
Where are they?
No, it's a car!
Scotland looked at the cars on the side of the road. One of them had already started and accelerated, and soon even its taillights were out of sight.
"Damn it, he drove my car!" Matsuda Jinpei also rushed downstairs. He had already tampered with the pervert's car before going upstairs, but the pervert still drove it.
Ugh, I'm so angry!
Suddenly, Matsuda Jinpei and Scotland both looked up at the height of the building, then at the distance where even the car could no longer be seen, and both fell into silence.
No, he just jumped off the building and went to steal a car unharmed?
"He jumped from a height of more than ten stories and stole my car!"
Early in the morning, Takanashi Chinatsu had just gotten out of her hotel in England when she received a call from Matsuda Jinpei.
"More than ten floors? Really?"
"Of course it's true! Do you think that pervert might also have magic?"
"Probably not. Magicians aren't like cabbages; you can't just randomly meet someone who can use magic." While drawing her eyebrows in front of the mirror, Takanashi Chinatsu asked, "Are you injured? Don't come to my place for the next few days, just in case you encounter any danger."
"I'm a police officer," Matsuda Jinpei said with a hint of helplessness.
"But what if he has some special ability..."
“You said it yourself, magicians aren’t as common as cabbages,” Matsuda Jinpei replied, echoing what Takanashi Chinatsu had just said. He then asked, “You’re in England? How’s it going?”
"Not very good." Takanashi Chinatsu subconsciously glanced at Hagiwara Kenji not far away.
Matsuda Jinpei's tone became urgent: "Something happened?"
"Hmm... He... caught a mount in his second year of graduate school." Takanashi Chinatsu's voice trailed off lightly, as if in a dream.
After hanging up the phone, Takanashi Chinatsu continued to stare at Hagiwara Kenji, or more accurately, at the "mount" beneath him.
Human legends give rise to the bizarre; this is true in Japan, and it is true in England.
The motorcycle that Kenji Hagiwara rode was the legendary "Spring-Heeled Jack" from the British folklore.
Wow, he can jump so high!
Spring-Heeled Jack leaps high into the air.
Kenji Hagiwara cheered and screamed.
Spring-Heeled Jack brandished his razor-sharp claws.
Kenji Hagiwara pointed the gun at his head.
So Spring-Heeled Jack behaved himself, obediently bearing the other's weight and becoming a dutiful mount.
Chizuru's feelings were complicated.
In terms of ability, Kenji Hagiwara is a ghost who has only been in school for a few years. Although he is training, he is far inferior to this legendary supernatural being.
But the truth is...
As soon as he got off the plane yesterday, Kenji Hagiwara immediately attracted the attention of the strange people entrenched in Britain, who were determined to teach this foreign ghost a lesson.
As a result, Kenji Hagiwara, disregarding all martial ethics, picked up the rocket/cannon.
Although this thing can't hurt people, it's incredibly effective at blasting strange creatures. These "old people" had never seen anything like it before, and they were all blown up and died, fleeing in panic.
Spring-Heeled Jack also wanted to run away, but his hopping attracted Kenji Hagiwara's attention. He was completely powerless against the strange "vehicles," so he grabbed a gun and tied him up.
"Chika, what do you think? Isn't my new mount super cool?" Kenji Hagiwara shouted excitedly.
"Yeah, he's really handsome," Takanashi Chinatsu replied dismissively.
Spring-Leg Jack's bulging eyes instantly fixed on Takanashi Chinatsu.
“Don’t be rude to girls, Mr. Jack.” Kenji Hagiwara pressed the gun against his head again.
Spring-Heeled Jack: ...
He was very polite; he was a very polite oddball.
Spring-Heeled Jack smiled ingratiatingly at Kenji Hagiwara, averting his gaze and no longer daring to show any dissatisfaction towards Chinatsu Takanashi.
"Knock knock," someone is knocking on the door.
Chika Takanashi had almost finished her makeup when she went over and opened the door, where she saw Rai standing outside with breakfast in his arms.
As they welcomed the guests in, Takanashi Chika watched as Rai laid out the breakfasts one by one.
Kenji Hagiwara also released Spring Leg Jack and walked up to Ray, staring at him intently, like a mother hen staring at a weasel that came to steal her chicks.
"Did you sleep well last night?" Lei asked.
"Well enough."
“I contacted my connections in MI6, and I should be able to gain their trust.”
Takanashi Chinatsu, sipping her oatmeal, was somewhat surprised by the question and asked, "You have connections in MI6 too? Didn't you say the FBI and MI6 had no contact?"
"Personal relationship".
Kenji Hagiwara seized the opportunity to speak ill of Rai: "Chika, he's not honest at all. He didn't tell you anything before you came."
"Why didn't you say so before you came?" Takanashi Chinatsu asked.
Ray glanced at her and said, "Because it's not necessary. I'm in charge of managing this relationship, and I'm also in charge of faking your death after you come here. Just treat this as a vacation."
Normally, Takanashi Chinatsu wouldn't have bothered with him after hearing what he said, since she really hadn't handled any missions before.
Kenji Hagiwara immediately sensed: "He doesn't trust you."
"Huh?" Takanashi Chinatsu was bewildered. How did they come to this conclusion?
Kenji Hagiwara gave Rai a cold look and said, "Perhaps it's because of your status, or perhaps he thinks you can't help him at all. In any case, he doesn't trust you at all, which is why he doesn't let you get involved in anything."
Is that so? Takanashi Chinatsu looked at Rai again.
"If you don't trust the FBI, would you trust MI6?" Rye suddenly asked.
"I don't believe it either."
"Then you can trust me, right?" Lei lowered his body to look Takanashi Chinatsu in the eye. "Whatever I've done, Chinatsu, believe me, it's all for your own good."
Very gentle, very affectionate.
A particularly touching sentence.
Kenji Hagiwara immediately shouted in alarm: "Don't believe him!"
Chizuru Takanashi snapped out of her daze and instinctively took a step back.
“When a man says that, it means that what he’s about to do will absolutely go against your wishes,” Kenji Hagiwara said quickly, his gaze on Rai even more wary than before.
To disobey...one's wishes...
Takanashi Chinatsu immediately asked, "You contacted MI6 to prepare to detain me in the UK, right?"
Her eyes were clear and bright, meeting Lai's gaze without any hesitation.
Ray's pupils contracted, and he almost instinctively protested, "I won't force you to stay; we just had a brief chat..."
"Don't believe him. He's just saying this to keep you calm, and he thinks you'll agree. Once you resist, he'll immediately become tough." Kenji Hagiwara punched Rai's face several times, hating that he couldn't hit him.
Chinatsu Takanashi was shocked; Rai hadn't said that when they arrived.
She came to save people, not to risk her own life.
Takanashi Chinatsu wanted to refuse and escape from Rai's sight, but then she heard Hagiwara Kenji lower his voice.
"Don't rush, China, listen to him."
How could you do that!
Chinatsuko Takanashi looked at Kenji Hagiwara with displeasure.
Kenji Hagiwara gave her a reassuring look and comforted her, "You can't beat him, so for now you can only pretend to be obedient, but don't go too far, lest he notice."
"Where are you looking?" Lei also looked in the direction Takanashi Chinatsu was looking, but didn't see anything wrong.
“Tell him you’re checking for eavesdropping.”
Listening to Kenji Hagiwara's guidance, Chinatsu Takanashi's bewildered heart found peace at that moment, and her performance became calm and unhurried. She even glared at Rai fiercely: "Are you an idiot? Hurry up and check if anyone is listening in. You want to die, but I don't want to be implicated by you!"
Lei breathed a sigh of relief and grabbed Takanashi Chika's hand as she went to check around.
"What's wrong?" Takanashi Chinatsu preemptively expressed her displeasure.
“Don’t worry, I checked everything when I moved in last night. It’s very safe, and I also brought a signal jammer.” Ray pulled a small signal jammer out of his pocket.
Takanashi Chika breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at him with resentment and complained, "You're really bold. The boss of the organization is all-powerful. If he wants to find me, it won't matter where I hide."
"I know you're afraid of him."
“This isn’t fear, it’s the truth,” Takanashi Chika emphasized. Karasuma Renya is not someone to be trifled with.
“Okay, it’s true. But China, give me a little more trust, I can protect you.” Lai looked at her earnestly, his eyes yearning for her trust, longing for her to be on his side.
Guided by Kenji Hagiwara's gaze, Chinatsu Takanashi neither immediately agreed nor refused, but instead asked, "You know, right? If I disappear or fake my death here, you're at great risk of being exposed, and even if you aren't exposed, you can't go back. He'll definitely kill you."
Ray's eyes darkened.
Takanashi Chika sighed softly, "It's not worth it, Rae."
"No, if we pin the blame entirely on MI6, and I get injured and barely escape back, the organization might not actually kill me." Lai understood that the necessary investigation was inevitable, but he was currently the organization's top sniper. As long as his identity was confirmed to be innocent, he didn't think the organization would be willing to kill him.
"This is risky."
You deserve it.
Chizuru's feelings were particularly complicated.
Was she worth it? Don't say it's because of her naivety and kindness. Mingmei is no less capable, and she's Laiyi's girlfriend, but Laiyi didn't risk his life to save her.
Of course, part of the reason is that Minmei wouldn't leave because of her sister, but is it also because of her special identity that Rae chose to take her away?
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Author's note: Kenji Hagiwara, a precise psychological detector!
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