Chapter 94 Samuel wouldn't be "cashed out" by Bourbon...
Le Figaro Breaking News - Shooting in Paris leaves renowned painter Samuel dead
(Reported by this newspaper) Yesterday evening, renowned young artist Samuel Cloy was shot on Boulevard Saint-Germain on the Left Bank of Paris. He was rushed to the hospital but died despite attempts to save him. According to preliminary police investigations, this tragedy is suspected to be related to the recent tense political struggles and is a case of mistaken identity targeting a political figure.
Samuel Krois is renowned in Paris for his unique modernist oil paintings, and his solo exhibition at the Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris last year was widely acclaimed. Even more tragically, according to his friends, this talented artist had only recently married his lover, and this sudden political violence ruthlessly destroyed a family that had just made their vows.
Artists have expressed their condolences, stating that "this is a great loss to the French art world; Samuel's tragic and unexpected death has cast a deep shadow over the French art scene." The incident has also sparked widespread public concern about public safety and political violence.
Specific details are still under investigation. Police are appealing to anyone with information to come forward and have stated that they will do everything in their power to track down those involved.
...
In the morning light of the safe house, Shuichi Akai gently closed the newspaper, a rare sigh rising in his heart.
In the black-and-white printed obituary section, the photograph of the young painter stood out starkly.
He recalled the couple's sweet embrace on the banks of the Seine, their sincere and passionate proposal under the moonlight. He never imagined that the romance he had witnessed would end so abruptly and cruelly. Paris, indeed, was a city full of fleeting and fragile illusions.
Shuichi Akai sighed inwardly, the image of the blond youth kneeling on one knee, his eyes filled with moonlight, flashing through his mind. He hoped that the young man, immersed in happiness, wouldn't be too heartbroken.
However, this faint feeling took on a more subtle form a few hours later.
At one of the organization's bases, Shuichi Akai had just finished reporting on his mission when he turned around and saw a familiar blond figure disappear at the end of the corridor.
His tall, upright figure and unique hair color instantly overlapped perfectly with the blond youth he remembered being immersed in love.
Akai Shuichi: "!!!"
His eyes froze instantly. It couldn't possibly be such a coincidence!
An absurd premonition rose in his mind. Shuichi Akai approached a familiar member of the intelligence team without making a sound, gestured with his eyes in the direction the blond youth had left, and asked in a low voice, "Who is that?"
"Hmm? You haven't seen him yet?" The intelligence team member followed his gaze, his tone carrying a hint of knowing caution, and a slight, barely perceptible apprehension.
"That's Bourbon, a rising star in Paris who's really getting the spotlight. He's got some serious intelligence. Don't mess with him."
Considering their good relationship, the intelligence team member kindly offered a reminder.
Although the intelligence team members looked at the cold-faced Lai in front of them, even though this guy had been making waves in the organization lately.
Wait a minute… I hope what he just said wasn’t seen as disrespect or provocation. Should he have been more careful with his words? The intelligence team member suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Bourbon?
This code name was like a pebble thrown into Shuichi Akai's heart, instantly shattering the last remaining traces of sighs and sympathy in his heart.
Bourbon, he is Bourbon!
That blond young man, so romantically portraying a scene on the banks of the Seine, was actually Bourbon?!
Shuichi Akai stood there, feeling as if his blood had frozen.
He watched the figure disappear at the end of the corridor, his mind flashing back to the image of a man kneeling on one knee on the banks of the Seine, proposing to a woman, which he had seen two months earlier, and then to the cold obituary of the painter that he had seen in the newspaper at the safe house that morning.
He knew the organization's modus operandi all too well.
If Samuel possessed something the organization needed or knew information the organization didn't want others to know, then it would be perfectly normal for the organization to send intelligence agents to deliberately approach him, gain his trust through honey traps and other means, extract all his value, and finally make him disappear unexpectedly.
Vermouth revealed that Bourbon is very good at honey traps!
In retrospect, Bourbon was indeed very good at honey traps. His affection was so convincing that even he, as an observer, and the perceptive painter involved were fooled.
"..." A mocking smile flashed across Hideaki Akai's eyes. Could it be that the shooting wasn't an accident, and Samuel was brought to his senses by his cold and ruthless lover?
This guess sent a chill down his spine. Bourbon...!
However, in the following weeks, rumors began to circulate within the organization about Bourbon.
It is said that Bourbon has been in a bad mood lately, and when lower-level employees encounter him, he either has a cold face or a chilling smile, and his behavior is more unsettling than usual.
Some noticed that he wore a sapphire-encrusted bow tie with a sapphire on his lapel when he appeared. The sapphire was of very high quality, with a clear luster like solidified ocean, and gradually it became almost a standard accessory for Bourbon's appearances.
There are also vague reports that Bourbon seems to be using resources to track down someone. The fact that news of someone being tracked down can circulate in an organization that includes all sorts of people usually does not mean goodwill but rather revenge.
Shuichi Akai listened silently to these fragmented messages from within the organization, occasionally catching a glimpse of the sapphire bow tie gleaming on Bourbon's chest.
He thought he had heard somewhere about the origin of this sapphire bow tie... It was a gift from Samuel to Amuro Tooru two months ago after Amuro proposed.
Shuichi Akai recalled the newspaper report about the painter's accidental death, as well as the rumors of Bourbon's poor mood and unusual investigation.
The initial doubts were shaken.
Did Samuel really die in an accident? Did Bourbon truly harbor some genuine feelings for the painter?
If it's just a mission, why make the target wear a piece of jewelry with strong personal meaning given to him by the target as a memento after his death? And why go to such lengths to track down the gunman who accidentally killed the target (Akai's speculation)?
Hideaki Akai lit a cigarette.
Come to think of it, the reconstruction of the French branch is not yet completely finished. Even disregarding sincerity, as a highly regarded and renowned painter, Samuel's presence would be more beneficial to Bourbon's intelligence work due to his connections and aura. There is really no need for him to kill Samuel now.
In fact, Samuel's sudden death really disrupted Bourbon's plans, making all of Bourbon's emotional investment over the past few months go down the drain.
Even though Bourbon was skilled at honey traps, he had only spent a few months with Samuel. Now, after carefully reviewing the conversation between Samuel and Amuro Tooru that he had overheard two months ago, he could tell that Samuel's words seemed somewhat pessimistic and meaningful. It seemed that he was not completely unaware of Amuro Tooru's deliberate approach.
But even the perceptive Samuel eventually dismissed his doubts and fell for it, indicating that Amuro Tooru's performance was not just an act, but must have contained some genuine feelings in the end.
It was this sincerity that bewitched Samuel, leading him to jump without hesitation.
Shuichi Akai paused slightly in his cigarette-holding hand, remembering Akemi Miyano, whom he had used as a stepping stone to join the organization, and who was now considered his girlfriend by the organization.
...just like him.
Those who resort to honey traps to achieve their goals, will their performance, over time, inadvertently allow cracks to seep into their true selves? While meticulously crafting their nets to ensnare their targets, will they simultaneously entangle their own hearts?
Smoke curled upwards, blurring Shuichi Akai's cool, handsome features, making his expression complex and unreadable. Before leaving for France, he had already broken up with his real girlfriend in the FBI, Judy...
Returning to the present, Shuichi Akai frowned in thought. Samuel's life would obviously be of greater value to Bourbon. No one knew better than Bourbon, who had already tasted the benefits, how much influence a famous painter, who was popular in Paris and whose connections were sought after by the French upper class, whether out of affectation or genuine appreciation, could provide.
Killing Samuel was really a bad trade-off.
Could Samuel's death have been secretly orchestrated by Brandy and others, whose limelight had been overshadowed by Bourbon? Shuichi Akai pondered this.
Cutting off Bourbon's important sources of connections and attacking the newly promoted codename member, given Brandy's rumored personality, is not something he wouldn't do. Others in the organization who know the truth also have some doubts.
After the initial schadenfreude, Brandy gradually realized something was wrong. This black pot that had fallen from the sky was indeed huge and round.
The innocent brandy was wrongly accused: How can everyone slander someone out of thin air? It really wasn't him!
As the rumors progressed, Brandy even received a subtle reminder from that gentleman, concerning "internal unity" and "unnecessary internal strife."
This was a warning, and Brandy instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
Circumstances dictate the course of events, and after weighing the pros and cons, Brandy gritted his teeth and chose to appease Bourbon—not out of fear of Bourbon himself, but to show the gentleman that he was obedient to his orders.
To Brandy's surprise, after getting to know Bourbon, he found that Bourbon was very good at interpersonal relationships. He did not take the opportunity to act arrogantly, but instead accepted the olive branch he was offered with just the right attitude.
His words even subtly conveyed a message: Bourbon only wanted to use this opportunity to demonstrate his abilities to the higher-ups, thereby accumulating capital, and he might not necessarily stay in France to seize power from Brandy in the future. They could absolutely cooperate.
Whether sincere or not, this statement at least temporarily dispelled Brandy's concerns. After several exchanges of benefits and friendly interactions, the tense atmosphere between the two visibly eased considerably, and their relationship even appeared harmonious on the surface, which amazed the others who were originally waiting to see the show.
Soon after, new rumors began to circulate again.
Bourbon seems to have settled his personal affairs and returned to his usual composed state. Rumors about his increasingly sophisticated honey trap tactics, involving various valuable targets, have resurfaced, even more vividly than before.
Even Vermouth, in a relaxed setting, jokingly remarked, "It seems you've moved on from your previous sorrow, Bourbon? That's reassuringly efficient. It's just that thinking of that talented yet tragically young painter makes one feel a bit sorry for him."
Bourbon's movements did not pause for a moment. He raised his eyes, and his purplish-gray eyes rippled with a gentle yet slightly lonely light under the lamplight, while the corners of his lips curved into a perfectly symmetrical smile.
His voice was low, filled with a deep affection as if he were lost in memories: "Don't say that, Vermouth. Samuel... He was like a unique work of art, beautiful yet fragile. That's why every moment spent with him is all the more precious."
Bourbon paused, his fingertips unconsciously brushing against the sapphire bow tie at his chest. His gaze drifted for a moment before focusing again. His smile deepened, revealing a hint of coldness.
"As for the future... life must go on, mustn't it? I believe Samuel would also want me to remember the happy times, rather than to be forever immersed in sadness."
He still looks so affectionate!
Vermouth: "..."
Vermouth shook her head. She had only been joking earlier, but now she truly felt a pang of pity for the painter who had been trapped in the bourbon honey snare until his death. Poor Samuel.
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