The alarm from inside the institute poured into my right ear, ringing continuously. The flashing glaring red light made the ground in front of me flicker, filling me with a sense of crisis.
Jiang Lai and Matsuda Jinpei quickly evacuated towards the door together.
There seemed to be something wrong with this research institute. The researchers running past had no time to pay attention to Matsuda Jinpei and Erai, whose uniforms were different from theirs. They all put on their protective suits with serious expressions and ran around.
At the same time, explosions were heard from time to time inside the institute, making the situation even more chaotic.
"You did it? You did a good job." Jiang Lai said leisurely, "I didn't even realize you were carrying a bomb before."
"Huh? What?" Matsuda Jinpei was stunned for a moment, then he understood what the other party meant, "I didn't cause the explosion."
"Isn't it you?" Jiang Lai tilted his head slightly and retracted his gaze. "Well, it seems that Pinot Noir has a backup plan, or Samuste's own production is not up to standard."
As the two ran out of the institute, Jiang Lai suddenly reached out and grabbed Matsuda Jinpei's sleeve: "By the way, do you have the bomb now?"
"No, it's too dangerous to carry this kind of thing with you." Matsuda Jinpei glanced at Jiang Lai. He originally wanted to ask the other party what he wanted it for, but when he glanced sideways, he saw the black-haired young man's face full of an expression of "You are so useless".
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
Matsuda Jinpei: "...Wait, what's that expression on your face?"
"Ah? I don't have any expression." Jiang Lai replied with dead eyes.
"Hey, there's something like 'What use are you' written on your face!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Matsuda Jinpei: ...You should at least defend yourself or try to cover it up! You are so perfunctory!
The man with black curly hair took a deep breath, put on his sunglasses from his jacket pocket, and asked, "Why do you want a bomb from me?"
"I originally wanted to throw it back and blow up the upper part of the gate, so that it would collapse and block the entrance." Jiang Lai responded, "to prevent Samuster from sending people out through the main gate to chase us."
"Ah, that makes sense." Matsuda paused for a moment, "But is Pinot Noir still in it?"
"It doesn't matter. If he can get in, he can definitely get out. I believe him."
Jinpei Matsuda: This is not a question that can be solved simply by believing it or not! The question is whether this institute has only this one exit!
Although Pinot Noir is not a good person and has done various things to Hagi and Jiang Lai, as a teammate, if he abandons him, there may be trouble in the future. Matsuda Jinpei did not plan to go back to support, but he still had to wait and gather.
So, Matsuda Jinpei asked, "Where should we wait for him?"
"At home." Jiang Lai replied immediately.
Matsuda Jinpei: ? ?
"If a qualified tool doesn't jump back into the toolbox by itself, does it have to wait for the owner to pick it up personally?"
Jinpei Matsuda: ...What are you talking about, Jiang Lai? I don’t understand!
Besides, tools are supposed to be put away by someone, but they jump back into the toolbox by themselves. This is the animation "Tom Clancy's Toy Story" or the horror film "Anar"!
Jinpei Matsuda, who was not a commentator himself, was now forced to take on the role of commentator.
After a moment of calm, Matsuda Jinpei analyzed rationally. When that gentleman was brainwashing, he must have implanted his own ideas into Jiang Lai's mind. It seems that the gentleman implanted his own instrumentalist ideas into Jiang Lai as well.
Although Jiang Lai had taken preventive medicine in advance and still retained some of his own thoughts, he was affected to some extent. Coupled with his current salted fish mentality... it felt like the other party was very happy to use him as a tool in exchange for some free time.
Matsuda Jinpei breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Is it because you were too tired before, Jiang Lai? So now that you have put down your responsibilities, do you want to take a rest?
Jiang Lai continued walking forward with no intention of slowing down: "After gathering, we will all go back to our own homes anyway, so why not skip the step of gathering and go back to our own homes directly - waiting is very tiring."
"..." Matsuda Jinpei opened his mouth, his dark eyes staring at the other's back.
Jiang Lai stopped and turned around before Matsuda Jinpei started talking: "Did you get the information?"
"Ah, I got it." Matsuda Jinpei pulled out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, "The latest data from the laboratory."
"I got this." Jiang Lai stuffed the information he had in his arms to Matsuda Jinpei, "You can hand it in to the organization together."
Although Jiang Lai wanted to snatch the information from Matsuda Jinpei's hand, and then go to the gentleman with his full harvest, and bend down to wait for praise and pats on the head. But the gentleman said that he was not allowed to return to the organization privately before receiving notification.
Therefore, Jiang Lai could only imagine it silently in his heart, and then quietly stuffed the information to Matsuda Jinpei and asked him to hand it in.
That's good, too. I can get the compliments and pats on the head at the same time, Jiang Lai thought. It also saves me the trouble of going back and forth to organize it.
"Okay, I'll hand it in." Matsuda Jinpei took a few steps forward, took the documents from Jiang Lai's hand, tucked them under his left arm, and then naturally raised his right hand and rubbed Jiang Lai's head, "Thank you for your hard work."
"!"
Jiang Lai's pupils suddenly shrank, and he quickly jumped to the side!
The curly-haired man paused, but his posture remained casual, with a lazy aura. He withdrew his hand naturally: "Ahem, sorry, I offended you."
——Jinpei Matsuda didn't know how to read minds, so he certainly didn't know what Jiang Lai was thinking just now. But he could sense that he was feeling a little down, so he subconsciously rubbed his head as he had done before.
Different from the gentleman's doting and caressing attitude of a superior, Jinpei Matsuda's patting of the head was warm and respectful between friends, with a hint of joking, encouragement and comfort.
Jiang Lai, who was caught off guard by being touched on the head, was silent for two seconds, and then he spoke: "You..."
——Can you recall at some point in your life the scene of your family members enjoying each other's company and friends playing with each other?
Matsuda Jinpei's sunglasses slid down his nose, revealing the eyes behind them.
"You won't stick a bug in my hair, will you?" Jiang Lai began to touch his hair. "It's hard to take it off. Really, even if you want to put a bug, you should put it on your shoulder."
Matsuda Jinpei: “…”
Jinpei Matsuda: The atmosphere is completely gone!
The curly-haired man was choked by Jiang Lai's reply and quickly replied: "No, there is no eavesdropping device. Why would I put this!"
"What about the locator?"
"...Nothing. I just tapped it subconsciously."
"Really? That's good." Jiang Lai put down his arms. "Let's go, Canadian whiskey."
He walked in front, his warm brown eyes lowered slightly.
——Whether it was the other party pulling him in the research institute or the action of rubbing his head just now, it all showed that the two of them were familiar with each other. Jiang Lai could sense it.
[Do you remember anything?] The voice was speaking, [your past.]
...Maybe. Jiang Lai didn't have any pictures in his mind, but he could feel the subconscious trust.
Come to think of it, this voice now appears many more times than the loyal dog.
[Of course, because the loyal dog is originally a false illusion of splitting, and I am the real you. ]
[No matter how the outside world affects you, it will not erase the real you, right? ]
Hmm. Jiang Lai tightened his hands in his pockets.
[It's been a long time since we took a halftime break. It's time to get back to work. When everything is over, we can finally relax.]
【Everyone is waiting for you, Jiang Lai. 】
Jiang Lai couldn't remember who everyone was, but he deeply recognized these words in his heart.
—I have things I need to accomplish.
These words naturally slipped out from Jiang Lai's heart.
At the same time, the voice in my head also sounded: [You have something to accomplish. ]
On the way home, Jiang Lai did not forget to send a symbolic message of greetings and concern to Yu Komiyama, and after taking a short rest at home, he received a reply.
【＃小宮山悠＃: Thank you Lai-kun for your concern~ I'm fine ww】
Oh, he's still alive. This guy really has his own tricks. Jiang Lai stroked his phone with his fingertips and sent a few more words of concern.
He did not ask about Samuel's situation.
In the evening, Kurosawa Akira was doing group homework at Xiao Heizi's house, and Jiang Lai turned on the TV at home to watch the news. It reported the accidental explosion and fire at the Samuel Samuel Institute, a famous scientist and well-known social figure. The rescue was still in progress and the current situation was worrying.
Jiang Lai tilted his head and put a grape into his mouth.
Even if Samust hadn't died in this [accident], he probably wouldn't have lived long. After all, the drugs had already penetrated deeply into his body, and Pinot Noir wasn't the kind of person who would leave a way out for his mortal enemy.
They probably left the scene only after ensuring that the other party was dead or had no ability to resist and would not cause any trouble.
Jiang Lai smiled.
It's really good, Komiya-san. He stroked his chin. If that's the case, why not be more serious and teach him how to make jam in person instead of searching for videos online?
Thinking so, he planned his next steps, then opened his phone and sent an invitation text message to Yu Komiyama.
[Are you free next Sunday? Let's make jam together. You choose the flavor! *^v^*]
Although Jiang Lai cheered up and planned to make jam with Komiyama Yu, the plan still couldn't keep up with the changes. When Sunday came and the two took out the materials, Jiang Lai received a letter from that gentleman.
The gentleman asked Jiang Lai to prepare the latest work materials and return to the organization.
The time limit given by the other party was not very loose. Logically, Jiang Lai could have finished making the jam with Komiyayama Yu and then returned to the organization to achieve a perfect distribution.
However, Jiang Lai certainly would not choose that perfect assignment. He looked up and smiled apologetically: "What a coincidence, Komiyayama, that gentleman is looking for me."
Yu Komiyayama, who had just washed the strawberries with great interest, suddenly had a frozen smile on his face.
"Let's talk about making jam another day."
"Lai Jun, wait..."
Before he could finish his words, Jiang Lai had already wiped his hands and walked out of the kitchen without any hesitation.
“……” Yu Komiyayama lowered his head, his light beige hair covering his eyes.
The next second, Jiang Lai stepped back into the kitchen, and Komiyayama Yuu looked at him with his bright purple eyes.
"Um, did you drive here today? My car went for maintenance." Jiang Lai pinched his cheek with his index finger.
"So, could you please give me a ride back to the organization?" The black-haired young man smiled softly and brightly, "I want to meet that gentleman as soon as possible."