Chapter 61: The Three Undercover Agents, Rum, is Completely Finished
"Sir!" Takanashi Chinatsu looked up in shock. Although she knew that Lai couldn't survive, was the sir really going to openly break the contract?
"Hahaha, don't worry, you can take all three of them with you." Karasuma Renya laughed heartily.
Takanashi Chika was completely bewildered. What? Three people?
"That's not poison gas, it's just some kind of hypnotic gas."
She froze, observing carefully.
Bourbon was lying face down, making him difficult to observe, but Scotland was lying face up unconscious, and the rise and fall of his chest could be clearly seen.
They really didn't die! It really was hypnotic gas!
Great sorrow is followed by great joy, but also by a deep sense of doubt.
Why?
The three of them...
"No one but the four of us will know about today's test. When the other three wake up, they'll just think they were anesthetized and had a full-body checkup. It won't affect your relationship." Karasuma Renya had already planned everything out.
"Thank you, sir," Takanashi Chika said instinctively.
"Are you still angry with me?" Karasuma Renya asked with a smile.
She paused, then called out softly, "Father."
“Since I am your father, I will protect my children and not let you get hurt. Bourbon and Scotland are already people you have eliminated, so why not hand them over to someone else? I will give you more capable subordinates.”
Takanashi Chinatsu immediately refused, "No need, Father. It takes time to get used to each other. I'm already familiar with them and don't want to start over with two subordinates."
Seemingly realizing that she was still being "pampered," Takanashi Chinatsu couldn't bring herself to fire at Karasuma Renya, but instead gave Rum a sinister look.
“If I’m not mistaken, this test was arranged by Rum, wasn’t it? Father, are you just going to stand by and watch Rum trick me?” She turned around, her back to the camera.
"Sir, I..."
“It is indeed your fault, Rum. You have to admit your mistakes.” Karasuma Renya interrupted Rum.
Rum's expression changed slightly, but he did not refute it; he simply lowered his head respectfully.
“Let me think of a way to make amends to Black Cherry. I remember you have a commercial street? How about we use that street as compensation?”
Rum was about to refuse when he was interrupted by Karasuma Renya's voice.
"You're not going to be reluctant to part with it, are you, Rum?" The deep voice carried a subtle threat.
Rum's back seemed to be bent over in an instant. He hunched over, no longer displaying the arrogant and smug demeanor he had shown when facing China. His voice was hesitant and submissive: "I wouldn't dare."
"That entire street belongs to Black Cherry, you know what I mean?"
"Yes." He didn't dare to refuse.
Takanashi Chika raised an eyebrow and turned back around happily, saying, "Thank you, Father. I really appreciate this apology. I just hope Rum won't mess with me anymore. We're all in the same organization and have no grudges against each other. He can't keep bullying me just because he's the second-in-command."
"Yes, I won't." Rum said sheepishly.
"Vermouth, take Black Cherry out to play. I need to talk to Rum about something," Karasuma Renya ordered.
Vermouth immediately stepped forward, smiled, took Takanashi Chinatsu's hand, and led her away from the control room.
Inside the control room, there was complete silence; Rum even had to breathe carefully.
The temperature is getting cooler.
His clothes clung to his body, soaked with cold sweat from his back, and Rum kept his head down, not daring to lift it for a long time.
After a very long time, Karasuma Renya's voice finally came through.
"I won this bet again." His voice was cheerful, not at all intimidating.
But Rum's head drooped lower and lower.
He bet that Black Cherry had betrayed Mr., and he was willing to prove it in this way.
Killing one isn't enough; we have to kill a second.
Rum has his sights set on Black Cherry. Either Black Cherry will be exposed, or Black Cherry will collapse.
He knew how far he had gone this time, but he wasn't worried. After all, no matter how much someone doted on another, they would never be indifferent to betrayal.
He was just venting his anger for his master, so his master naturally wouldn't blame him.
Can……
He lost the bet, utterly defeated, while the winner was the gentleman.
No, the winner should be Black Cherry.
Black Cherry did not betray Mr., and even when two people were executed, she correctly spared the one with the most innocent identity.
Rum knew he had to do something right now, otherwise, no matter how much the master doted on Black Cherry, he would be just as unhappy with him.
“I have never lost, but there are still people who are persistent in wanting to bet with me. Since we have bet, the loser has to pay the price.”
Hearing this, Rum finally couldn't help but speak up: "Sir, Black Cherry might not be unaware of the undercover agent's identity, otherwise how could she have accurately tracked down Ray? If she knew the undercover agent's identity all along but didn't report it, that's also a kind of betrayal!"
Karasuma Renya's tone lost its emotion: "But she chose Rai."
"She chose to be with Ray because she knew he was an undercover agent and wanted to protect herself."
"She chose me." The tone became more forceful.
What faded was warmth, but what was reignited was fury.
"She chose me, Rum!"
Even a sleeping lion is still a lion, let alone Karasuma Renya, who is not truly asleep.
"Whether she knew it or not, she chose me at the crucial moment, and that's what I saw. And you? Rum, Black Cherry is right, you two clearly don't have any deep-seated grudges, so why are you so fixated on a little girl? Does bullying the weak make you feel satisfied?"
That was too harsh.
Rum felt dizzy; each sentence felt like it was crushing him.
“I didn’t!” he tried to explain.
"Black Cherry has been provoking me!" he said, but then regretted it.
"No, I'm not retaliating because she provoked me. I just hope you won't be fooled by her," he quickly tried to salvage the situation.
He explained and remedied the situation word by word.
His face flushed red with anxiety, and he gesticulated wildly.
But Karasuma Renya never responded to him.
At that moment, overwhelming darkness swept over him, causing him to flinch and gradually fall silent.
"Choose an heir, Rum. Complete the handover within three months." The verdict was delivered.
Rum felt as if the breath around him was being squeezed.
"Sir, please..."
"Complete the handover within three months, and I'll send you to Italy to live out your days in comfort. If you fail to complete the handover within three months, I'll send you to hell." A cold voice, an unquestionable decision.
Rum's face turned deathly pale.
Having lived in comfort for too long, he had indeed forgotten how decisive and ruthless his former teacher was.
That purge back then almost wiped out half of the organization.
Some were utterly disappointed, and Vermouth simply went off to film a movie, refusing to concern herself with the organization's affairs for a long time.
Some people were so terrified that Pisco completely faded from the organization's sight and has not dared to compete or fight since.
Some people seized the opportunity to rise to prominence, like him, like Gin.
That was the end for that wave of high-ranking officials back then, but it was also the rebirth of Rum.
Rum was always proud of his rise to power back then, and his actions became somewhat arrogant. But even though he was ambitious, he had always been cautious and dared not cross the line.
Karasuma Renya's greatest concern was his power, and anyone who dared to interfere with his authority would suffer a fatal blow.
Rum was waiting for a perfect opportunity, and he would never make a move until that opportunity came. He knew all too well how terrifying Karasuma Renya's control was. He considered himself a smart man, and even if he couldn't ultimately rise to the top, he would stay in the second-in-command position for life and live a carefree life.
But the wind has changed.
Only then did he realize that what Karasuma Renya valued most was not just his power, but also Black Cherry.
He could be so decisive and ruthless for the sake of black cherries.
Aren't you afraid he'll rebel?
He is the organization's second-in-command. If he is determined to resist, even the Master would be severely weakened.
“Bacardi is one of my men,” Karasuma Renya suddenly said.
Rum shuddered. He had indeed noticed Bacardi's evasive behavior and wanted to abandon him to cultivate another confidant. But at the time, he only thought that Bacardi was connected to Rum or Black Cherry. It turned out that he was the master's man.
"Besides him, how many of my people do you think are around you?"
The thought of rebellion was quickly suppressed. Rum placed his right hand on his heart, hunched over, and lowered his trembling eyelashes, willingly accepting his fate before the seemingly omniscient and omnipotent master: "I am willing to be loyal to you forever, sir."
In the cold laboratory, Chinatsu Takanashi took out her phone to check the time for the third time.
It was almost three hours, and the three people still hadn't woken up.
Bourbon, Scotland, and Rye's beds were placed side by side, all with their eyes closed, but their expressions were not peaceful.
The three of them must have been terrified by this sudden turn of events.
It's strange, what brings Karasuma Renya and Rum here?
A bet? Did the two of them make a bet using her?
Takanashi Chinatsu was completely baffled. Judging from the situation, it couldn't be that she had discovered Rai's identity, otherwise Karasuma Renya's attitude would definitely not have been so kind when she kept Rai in the end.
Admit your mistake, coax her, and apologize.
The most valuable aspect of that commercial street wasn't its commercial value; it was the intelligence group's business. Different businesses connected customers of different identities, making it an important source of intelligence for all levels of society.
With just a few words, Karasuma Renya effortlessly transferred ownership to her name?
The phrase "all belong to Black Cherry" signifies that everything—from the inherent commercial value of the shopping street to the connections between various social strata and the organizational members responsible for the shopping street—belongs to her. Rum doesn't even have the right to transfer any of it.
This apology was far too heavy, far exceeding her expectations; it was as if a piece of flesh had been ripped from Rum's heart.
besides……
These three people.
One was neither dead nor injured, and they were safely returned to her.
Everything was so absurd, like a completely illogical dream, leaving Chika Takanashi utterly baffled.
"Hey, wake up." Takanashi Chinatsu leaned over and gently began the wake-up call.
No one responded.
"It's been three hours, time to get up."
Could they have used too much anesthesia? Using too much of that stuff can affect the brain.
"Can you hear me?" Takanashi Chinatsu drawled out.
"Pop~"
A very light touch, warm and gentle, landed on my cheek.
Chizuru Takanashi froze, her pupils slowly dilating.
Scotland naturally reached out and wrapped his arms around her neck, pulling her close to him, his voice slightly dreamy: "China."
Because he had inhaled a large amount of sedatives, even though he woke up now, his mind was still not very clear and his eyes were blurry.
“Scotland, let me go.” Takanashi Chinatsu tried to struggle.
"Don't leave me, China." Scotland's voice was hoarse as he held China even tighter in his arms.
Lai, who was standing to the side, also got up unsteadily, staring blankly at Scotland and Takanashi Chinatsu.
"Lai, you're awake too, be careful!" Takanashi Chika warned, but it was too late.
"Bang!" The moment Bourbon woke up, he punched Rae in the face.
"Ugh." Lei groaned, rubbing his temples, and asked, "Bourbon, what are you doing?"
"Ray, die!" Bourbon threw another punch, but it was blocked by Ray's arm.
Ray was no pushover; he retaliated almost instantly, punching Bourbon hard in the face. "Nonsense!"
"court death!"
Are you crazy?!
The two exchanged punches, playing a turn-based game. Takanashi Chinatsu felt her head was spinning and instinctively reached out to them, saying, "You two, stop fighting."
But her hand was quickly grabbed by Scotland, who rested his head on Takanashi Chinatsu's shoulder and hummed softly, "I'm not feeling well, Chinatsu, my head hurts so much."
Chinatsuko: ...
Wake up, you guys!
Half an hour later, the three grown men stood awkwardly in front of Takanashi Chika, like children who had done something wrong and were waiting to be scolded.
Chinatsu Takanashi sighed helplessly and said, "Don't look so listless. It's just a medical check-up. It's my fault for not telling you beforehand."
"It's not your fault."
"It was my fault."
"I'm sorry, Chizuru."
All three of them looked extremely embarrassed.
Takanashi Chika was taken aback. They accepted it just like that? She had been worried about how to explain it to them so they would believe her, but they believed her so easily?
They were separated and isolated, drugged, and then told it was for a medical check-up. Didn't these three people find that strange?
However, since the three of them didn't mention it, Takanashi Chinatsu naturally wouldn't want to cause trouble for herself, so she went along with them and glossed over the matter.
After leaving the research institute with the three of them, Gin had been waiting at the entrance for some time.
"Gin, you're here, why didn't you go in?" Takanashi Chinatsu ran over excitedly.
Gin said coldly, "I'm afraid someone might react negatively."
Rum happened to be going out as well. Hearing this, he unusually didn't refute it, or even utter a cold snort. He simply got into his car and quickly drove away.
Gin raised an eyebrow sharply.
Takanashi Chinatsu was also full of surprise. What was wrong with Rum today? He wasn't usually this "docile".
"Get in the car," Gin gestured.
Takanashi Chinatsu said goodbye to the three of them, opened the car door, and this time sat in the passenger seat.
The car sped away, quickly disappearing from the research institute.
Takanashi Chika looked down at her fingers, her mind a jumble. This whole thing was so strange; she didn't know how to tell Gin.
"Rum is doomed," Gin suddenly said.
"Huh?" Takanashi Chinatsu was a little confused. How could things be going to end like this?
"He angered the master, and the master has decided to remove him from the core of the organization's power. The message has been sent down." Although the message was only sent to a few high-ranking officials, Gin was clearly one of the people who received it.
Chinatsu looked at Gin with a blank expression, as if she were listening to gibberish.
Gin glanced at her strangely and asked, "What did you do? I've been targeting Rum for years. Although I've taken a lot of benefits from him, I've never been able to shake his foundation. His elimination this time is inexplicable."
Chinatsu Takanashi shook her head blankly and whispered, "I don't know, there's just... a very strange test today."
Confused and bewildered, Takanashi Chika told Gin about the test, watching helplessly as his expression grew increasingly grim and his voice became softer and softer.
"Is there a problem?" After saying that, Takanashi Chinatsu asked, confused. She still didn't understand what had happened today.
"Lay's identity was not exposed; it was others who were."
"What?"
"Bourbon and Scotland are undercover agents, or at least Scotland is an undercover agent, no, it should be the former, they are both undercover agents." Although his voice was calm, his gloomy face looked like he wanted to devour someone.
Takanashi Chinatsu didn't believe it either, and subconsciously retorted, "Impossible, right? All three of them are undercover agents?"
As soon as she said it, she felt the air in the car grow even colder.
"Lucky." Gin gritted his teeth, looking at Takanashi Yuuki with such rage that he wanted to crush her to death.
Chinatsuko: ...
No...no way?
In fact, if Gin's guess is true, and Bourbon and Scotland are the exposed spies, then everything today makes sense.
Can……
How could this be? The odds of winning are comparable to buying a lottery ticket!
Oh no, Takanashi Chinatsu suddenly realized that she had actually won the lottery before.
"The master's final suggestion to replace two of your subordinates was to make them disappear from your sight and eliminate them when you can't see them. The master is certain of your loyalty, so he doesn't want their deaths to cause you any distress," Gin said coldly.
Although Gin's cold expression wasn't directed at Chika, it still sent a chill down her spine.
Gin had no choice but to suppress his escalating killing intent and said, "Give them to me."
"No." Her mouth reacted faster than her brain; Takanashi Chinatsu refused without even thinking.
Gin raised an eyebrow sharply.
Chinatsu shrank back toward the door, but continued to say infuriating things: "It's good that they're undercover agents. I needed someone to help me take down the organization anyway. If they're undercover agents, I don't have to worry about them betraying me."
"They didn't identify themselves to you, they're even less honest than the FBI, there's no benefit in cooperating with them."
"No way, I exposed the FBI on my own initiative. All I have to do is expose them one by one!"
It's cold; the temperature inside the car seems even lower.
Chinatsu Takanashi touched her arm and felt goosebumps all over her body.
Her brother has a really bad temper, but she actually enjoys riding in a cool car in the summer.
"You don't know their true identities, or who sent them, and you still dare to dream of cooperating with them?" Gin seemed to be grinding his teeth.
Worried that Gin would just go and kill them, Takanashi Chika reluctantly approached and gently tugged at Gin's sleeve.
Gin dodged his arm.
Chinatsu Takanashi grabbed him again and hugged his arm tightly with both hands.
“Brother, I can never reconcile with the organization in this lifetime. It was the organization that caused us to be separated for so many years. Besides, do you think I can kill people? Do you think I can really inherit the organization peacefully? Before inheriting the organization, I might have to be tortured by Karasuma Old Deng. Can you bear to do that?”
Gin's lips tightened into a line, and his eyes grew colder and colder.
“I know you may have thought about sending me away from the organization, but you’ve already tried, and it won’t work. The organization’s influence is so vast that even if I really escaped, I would only be able to live a life of hiding under an assumed name, like a rat in the sewers. I don’t want to live like that. I will miss you, I will miss my adoptive father, and I will miss my friends.”
"what you up to?"
Hearing Gin's softened tone, Takanashi Chinatsu smiled, realizing she had convinced him.
So she struck while the iron was hot and quickly made her request: "I'm very lucky, I'm sure I won't be tricked by a few undercover agents, so please trust me a little more and let me do something, okay? I want to unite with them to fight against the organization."
"Good luck is not something you should take risks with."
"I know, I just want to..."
"We haven't heard from Smino in a long time."
Gin's words made Takanashi Chika's heart sink.
Because she couldn't see, hear, or even get any news from the other party, Takanashi Chika chose to endure it.
She tried to forget her adoptive father for the time being, but her heart still raced and her breathing became rapid when she heard the news.
She stared blankly at Gin. Neither her brother nor her adoptive father would lie to her. Her adoptive father must still be alive, but where was he?
Why won't he show up? She's all grown up now, doesn't her adoptive father want to see her now?
"He's doing something very important. You can't help him, but at least don't cause him trouble. Don't forget that your good fortune comes at the cost of his misfortune," Gin said sharply.
Takanashi Chika bit her lower lip. She understood what her brother meant; she had indeed been inconsiderate.
But what about Bourbon and Scotland? She pulled them out of the water, but was she really just going to abandon them and let the organization kill them?
"You rely on me so much for everything else, but when it comes to going undercover, you never rely on me at all."
I don’t know if it was just my imagination, but I felt that Gin’s voice sounded a bit resentful.
She stared blankly at Gin, whose silver hair fell smoothly over his shoulders, gleaming with the cold light of autumn.
Before she could fully process what she was thinking, Gin spoke up: "I'll help you find out their identities."
"Brother?" Takanashi Chika was shocked.
Gin glanced at her indifferently and asked, "Why that tone? Is it so hard for me to understand that I'm helping you?"
It's just so hard to understand!
Chinatsu Takanashi had a million complaints she wanted to vent.
Gin, who usually seems to have an irreconcilable feud with undercover agents, is now actually helping her investigate the undercover agent's identity and then helping her cooperate with the undercover agent?
Good heavens, is the sun really going to rise in the west today?
Looking out the car window, Chizuru Takanashi saw the sun rising in the east and setting in the west, far less outrageous than Gin's.
Gin saw all of her actions. He gritted his teeth and then jabbed a finger into Takanashi Chinatsu's forehead until it turned red.
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Author's Note: Gin (pokes repeatedly): I have a naughty little sister!
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