Chapter 31

16:00

In the middle of the spacious chief's room, an antique candlestick was emitting a circle of light, barely illuminating half of the desk. A blonde girl was sitting quietly on the thick carpet, reading a picture book on her lap.

Mori Ogai, who was sitting in the middle, closed the cap of his pen and glanced at the door: "What's holding you back, Dazai-kun?"

As footsteps approached, a young man with black hair and iris eyes stopped in front of him, nodded steadily and saluted. His bandaged arm stretched out from his coat, revealing a stack of paper documents in his hand.

Mori Owl stared at him, waiting for his explanation.

"This is the arbitration account we got during the last inspection. It's a perfectly fake account." Dazai Osamu's voice was as flat as his expression now. In the past, when he made mission reports, he would be more or less lazy and bored, but now these little emotions were hidden in the darkness like the eye hidden under the bandage.

To those who don't know Dazai, there may not be much difference between the two. Only Mori Ogai, who is close by, can keenly perceive the emotions surging under his calm appearance.

Dazai Osamu pulled out two thin sheets of paper from the bottom of the file. "These are the transfer orders for two intelligence officers from two weeks ago. They are carrying out a confidential mission, so no one has noticed that they have lost contact. Conservatively speaking, it should have been more than 48 hours."

Sen Ouwai spread his hands and motioned for him to continue.

Dazai Osamu did not continue analyzing the intelligence as he wished. He took two steps forward, put the document on the table, and then returned to its original position. What he started talking about was a story from the past.

"As early as the previous generation, the Zhonghui had become a loyal affiliated organization within the Port Mafia, in charge of the casino business. Over the years, it has created a considerable amount of wealth for the Port Mafia. It is a veteran, but also a rotten root that breeds insects.

"The Central Council has signed a 50-year cooperation agreement with the previous generation, and the agreement will remain in effect regardless of who the successor is. Others may not think much about it, but for Mr. Mori, who killed the previous generation to take the throne, he must show 200% approval in order to gain the support of the previous generation.

"The longer the night, the more dreams there are. No one would not want to keep the underground casino, a den of vengeance, firmly in their own hands. However, once they act rashly, not only will the trust of other affiliated organizations in the port mafia be greatly reduced, but it will also cause opposition and suspicion from the previous generation.

"Due to various constraints, things have been going smoothly for the past three years... until today."

Sen Ou looked at him quietly, even the curve of his lips did not change at all.

After a brief silence, Dazai looked directly into the other person's eyes and whispered his final goal.

"Chief, you need a reason - a legitimate reason to terminate the peace agreement and destroy the Zhonghui."

"That's probably why the leader sent Kimino-kun to inspect the Zhonghui in the first place. To cultivate a conspicuous target, put him in danger, and even not forget to test his true ability...Mr. Mori, you are happy to use him to this extent."

"Dazai-kun." Mori Ogai interrupted him, his low voice echoing in the empty room. He smiled slightly and said, "Kuno-kun is my capable subordinate. He is very smart. I believe he will be fine."

Facing the man who would guide him through his youth and future adulthood, Dazai Osamu showed a rare hint of confusion in his eyes, "Why is his ability so important?"

Mori Ogai did not answer, but instead brought up a seemingly unrelated topic: "Dazai-kun, have you ever heard of 'books'?"

"——A 'book' where anything written on it becomes real as long as the cause and effect relationship is met. It is rumored to be somewhere in Yokohama."

Dazai Osamu's fingertips trembled slightly as if twitching.

At the side of the desk, Alice, who had been silent all the time, raised her head. The little girl gave Dazai a cute smile that was standard enough to be used as a textbook example, but the latter did not appreciate it, and looked down at him with deep suspicion.

Alice ignored him and reached out to hand the picture book on her lap to Mori Ougai.

Mori Ogai took it, chuckled and complimented the girl, then turned his gaze back to Dazai Osamu, "These are a few pages of notes that I found in the secret room not long ago. They were left behind by the previous generation." He shook the picture book with an old cover in his hand, and the exposed page had been scribbled beyond recognition with colored crayons.

The black-haired man opened a few pages with his fingers, revealing unfamiliar handwriting. Incomplete words, messy handwriting, and every stroke reveal the owner's crazy ambition despite his limited time.

Dazai Osamu didn't have time to read what was written there - his reaction was suddenly a hundred times slower. When he came to his senses, he heard Mori Ogai's question with just the right amount of doubt: "You have been with Kouno-kun for so long, did you really not notice anything?"

“…”

A chill ran down his spine.

Fortunately, Mori Gugai did not want to embarrass his few capable subordinates. The black-haired man left his seat, and the legs of his chair dragged on the carpet with a heavy sound. Mori Gugai personally handed the letter of appointment with dried ink to the young mafia member in front of him: "I leave this matter to you, Dazai-kun."

The latter stretched out his hand woodenly, like a perfectly functioning machine, without any expression.

Mori Ougai did not return to his seat. He came to a dark wall and pressed a switch. The electrified wall quickly turned into a transparent floor-to-ceiling window, from which he could overlook the entire Yokohama.

When the calm sea came into view, he suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Dazai Osamu: "There are three people with special abilities in the meeting, which is a bit tricky. Is it okay?"

“…”

Dazai Osamu's iris-colored eyes slowly moved, and he lowered his head to stare at the letter of appointment in his hand. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse as if he had not been in use for a long time: "Tateishi, change the electromagnetic frequency; Fuji, promote the growth of plants; Okura, create a small range of vacuum."

The top-secret information that Zhong Hui had guarded so closely slipped out of his mouth so easily.

Mori Ou raised the corners of his lips.

There was no need to say more. Time was running out and neither of them had the mood to chat.

Before walking out of the leader's room, Dazai Osamu suddenly stopped, and the sunlight coming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows did not fall on his back at all.

He asked again softly, "Will he be okay?"

Mori Ou looked at him in surprise, as if he didn't understand why he asked such a question: "The command of the rescue is yours, Dazai-kun. It depends on your judgment."

Dazai Osamu turned his back to Mori Owl, no longer needing to hide, and a dark tide finally surged in his eyes, "If this time confirms your thoughts, will you take action again in the future, leader?"

The answer he got was silence. Sen Ou stood with his hands behind his back, staring at his back.

"……I see."

The black-haired boy chuckled at himself, strode away, and walked into the darkness alone.

19:00

On the vast, dark sea, stealthy ships set out from Yokohama Private Port, heading for their destinations in distant foreign countries.

No one was walking on the deck, and everyone on board knew that success or failure depended on tonight. As long as they could successfully leave the Sea of ​​Japan tonight, countless wealth would be waiting for them.

In the control room of the automatic driving, the person in charge of driving the boat looked around and found nothing unusual with the radar. He couldn't help but relax and complained to his companions: "I'm so tired today - brother, why is the boss so anxious? I remember that batch of goods will be sold in a month."

His companion glanced at him, tapped the ground with his foot, and said with an ambiguous smile: "Don't you know that we are here to deliver another batch of 'goods' today?"

"A big foreign client specifically asked to kidnap someone. Well, the price is about this much." He gestured exaggeratedly, his eyes widened, "We can't make that much money even if we sell our lives for a lifetime!"

The man who first asked the question was wearing glasses. When he saw his companion's numbers, he took a deep breath and his glasses almost fell off. He murmured with envy and hatred, "...What a fat sheep."

"People with special abilities are all a bunch of weirdos. They spend money just for fun. Oh, and I heard that the person who was kidnapped is also a person with special abilities. Ha, now I understand."

"Don't bluff me. If he really has supernatural powers that could be kidnapped by our people so easily? Then someone else should be the boss."

"There are different kinds of people with special powers." His companion smacked his lips. As he spoke, he thought of the people with special powers on their ship. The bloody scenes he had witnessed flooded into his mind. He shuddered immediately, but still said stubbornly in front of his younger brother, "Why are you asking so many questions? Just drive the boat honestly! Anyway, the 'goods' will take action tomorrow. It has nothing to do with minions like you and me!"

The man in glasses laughed awkwardly and continued to check the radar. No one noticed the eavesdropping device on the inside of his coat, which was flashing a faint red light.

20:00

In the innermost room on the second floor below the cabin, there was a sudden sound of rushing water.

The iron bucket was thrown aside with a clang, and the cold water splashed out and soaked the wooden floor. The person who splashed the water didn't want to let the hostage have an easy time, and poured a bucket of water directly on his head. Even if he was prepared, it was useless. The hostage's limbs were firmly restrained, and the cold water rushed into his nasal cavity and into his lungs. His mouth was sealed with black tape, and he couldn't even cough or shout. A look of pain appeared on his face.

The trickling water gathered into a stream from under the wet clothes, mixed with dust and blood, and was ruthlessly crushed by someone.

"Let me think...it's been less than a month since we last met. Do you still remember me?"

The leather shoes stopped one step away from the hostages. The person who spoke chuckled. It was Zhuichuan, the person in charge who I met when I inspected the Zhonghui. He seemed very satisfied with the situation. He suppressed his violent emotions and said, "Thanks to you and the little mice you sent, the business that was nailed on the board has been ruined. Otherwise, you would not be the one carrying the ship today."

He paused, his tone suddenly changed to gritting his teeth, and he fiercely pulled the hostage's wet gray hair, listening to the latter's muffled groan of pain, still not satisfied: "Do you know how much you can earn after selling that batch of goods! Damn it! You and Mori Owl are also the same, the port mafia is all a bunch of ungrateful people!"

He became more and more excited as he spoke, with a frightening light in his eyes. He roughly pulled up the black rope hanging beside him. This was a later device. With a slight pull, the thumb-thick collar on the hostage's neck would tighten without any manual labor. Compared to interrogating a peer, it was more like abusing a dog or cat that had no ability to resist.

The hostage's breathing was strangled, and his pale face finally turned scarlet. This red represents vibrant vitality, but it is also the countdown to death by suffocation.

His golden pupils were slightly dilated and out of focus. Perhaps it was because of drops of water that fell into his eyes, they looked wet and hollow.

After all, life is still useful, and before he reached his limit, Zhuikawa, having vented enough of his anger, loosened the black rope as if giving alms.

He took the towel handed to him by his subordinate, snorted coldly, and wiped his hands slowly, "You should compensate me for the loss, what do you think?"

The gray-haired boy lowered his head, and the chains and shackles on his wrists forced him to stand up with great effort. His senses seemed to be blocked as well, as if he didn't hear the other party's sarcasm, and he was as quiet as a puppet being manipulated by others.

Such a calm reaction naturally did not satisfy the torturer. The man narrowed his eyes and smiled grimly: "I was wondering why the chat was not enjoyable enough. Who blocked the guest's mouth?"

His question did not need an answer, and his subordinates beside him tactfully stepped back and watched their boss tear off the tape covering the hostage's mouth.

Blood oozed out from the broken skin almost at the same time. The gray-haired boy's body was too fragile to withstand such violence. His lips were torn and bitten, and soon they were stained with blood, leaving winding bloodstains on his pale jaw.

His breathing suddenly relaxed and he coughed violently, almost coughing out his internal organs.

His eyes slowly opened, his pupils still unfocused, but this time with a hint of indifference, and he scanned the room inch by inch very slowly.

Even if he had special abilities, he couldn't use them since his hands and feet were tied up separately - it wasn't a big deal, as anyone could go up and give that frail body a contemptuous kick, but that one glance just now made everyone in the room shudder as if they were seen through.

This reverse interrogation ended quickly. The boy lowered his eyes tiredly. After a long time, he slowly uttered a few hoarse and discordant syllables from his throat. The tightened collar had put a severe burden on his vocal cords. At this moment, he could only speak because of his willpower.

At first glance, the words he spoke sounded like two different people's voices. Only the faintest ending could still convey a familiar tone.

The voice paused for every word, weak but certain: "You've been deceived."

These words consumed the last bit of his strength. As if he didn't care about anything that happened next, he closed his golden eyes, leaving only his eyelashes, which were soaked by cold water and tears and turned into strands, trembling slightly.

"…Who do you think you are!" Zhuichuan's temples throbbed. He realized belatedly that he was looked down upon by a mere prisoner who was bullied by anyone. When he went forward in rage and prepared to take action himself, he suddenly caught a very subtle sound.

The man suddenly turned his head to look outside the door, frowned, walked silently to the door, and then pulled it open!

The fist that was about to knock on the door almost hit his nose. The person standing outside the door was startled and withdrew his hand awkwardly: "Hello, boss! Well, um, I'm here to bring you dinner." As he said this, he made room for the food cart behind him to prove that what he said was true.

"...I understand." Zhuikawa narrowed his eyes dangerously, examining the timid glasses in front of him, "Put your things down, and go."

The man in glasses bowed and trotted away.

After watching his back disappear, Zhuichuan set his eyes on the exquisite food in the transparent cover of the dining car, and suddenly asked his subordinates in the room: "Do you know that person just now?"

The subordinates looked at each other, and one of them stepped forward and answered, "He was hired three months ago to fill the vacancy of the machinist. He is very skillful."

Zhuichuan seemed to be lost in thought. He ignored the food truck and left it outside. He locked the door again and his eyes once again fell on the boy who was so quiet in the corner that he was almost breathless.

Even in this situation, he was still the same as he had seen through the surveillance camera in Leibo Street, cold, yet heart-poundingly handsome, making people want to pull out his bones and crush them one by one.

Even if it doesn't have special abilities, it's worth buying it as a toy to cater to the special fetishes of some wealthy people.

Zhong Hui's handle was caught by the port mafia, and the transaction was also destroyed. Zhuikawa was furious and once again made it clear that Yokohama was no longer suitable for them to stay. He originally wanted to take all his belongings and go to Europe directly. Anyway, he had been unhappy with the old fox Mori Ogai for a long time, and it just so happened that he had an alliance with an organization in Europe that had been eyeing the port mafia.

However, while secretly transferring the goods, he received an anonymous email.

The email revealed the current predicament of Oikawa and Nakakai in just a few words, and at the same time pointed out a clear way out for him - the attachment introduced Kimino Mutsu's special abilities, and planned in detail how they should kidnap him, how to escape from Yokohama after success, the new business to be opened in Europe, and the considerable remuneration for delivering the hostages.

Oikawa had originally decided to take revenge on the Port Mafia before leaving, and this anonymous email was exactly what he needed, it was like pie in the sky. Of course, he was not stupid to have reached his current position, so he asked the other party directly what their purpose was and why they knew so much about the grudge between him and the Port Mafia.

The reply to the email took three hours longer than before. When I opened it, there was only a simple line of fancy foreign language, which translated to "Let the blood of sinners stain this land red."*

And a huge deposit into Zhuikawa's private account, which was known to no more than five people in the world.

Zhuikawa immediately broke out in a cold sweat. He immediately realized that the other party was a terrorist who was several times more difficult to deal with than the port mafia, and that he had gotten into a huge trouble.

——People with special abilities are all crazy.

But even if you think you are superior to others, you still have to suppress your reluctance and listen to him.

Zhuikawa's eyes darted past the boy's powerless fingertips, greedy desire slowly rising in his eyes.

He raised his hand and ordered his subordinates in a gloomy tone: "Call Teng over."

20:30

On the other side, the man with glasses who escaped from the second floor of the cabin hid in the utility room. After making sure that there was no one around and no monitoring equipment, he took out his cell phone and dialed a number. As soon as the call was connected, he said quickly: "Sorry, I was almost discovered by him just now. Can you still receive the signal?"

The eavesdropping device did exist, but it was not in the dining car, but was placed in the gap of the door frame by him in advance. This was a newly developed device, sophisticated and concealed, with a long usable distance. The only disadvantage was that it was not durable enough and needed to be replaced in time, which required him to stay on the ship at all times as a mechanic.

He just went to the second floor to replace equipment. I wonder if he managed to avoid Zhuichuan's suspicion.

Originally, time was not that tight. Logically, the port mafia should have contacted him ten minutes ago, but the man in glasses did not receive the signal for a long time, so he anxiously went to check if there was something wrong with the eavesdropping device.

Sent into the Zhonghui as an undercover agent, he actually knew very little and his mission was very simple, which was to plant a eavesdropping device after receiving a notification. As for what was heard, it was directly passed on to the port mafia and had nothing to do with him.

It was precisely because he knew so little that he would not be exposed. For example, at this moment, he did not know who was on the other end of the phone, nor did he know the person in the room. Regarding the former, he only heard that he was a big shot in the port mafia, and as for the latter, the cruel methods of the Zhonghui were enough to make him feel sympathy for the hostages he had never met.

The man in glasses swallowed and continued on the phone: "There are also three people with special abilities in the meeting--"

"I know."

The other party interrupted him, "...According to the plan."

His eyes froze and he managed to utter a dry "I understand." He hung up the phone, still puzzled.

Firstly, it was because the voice of this great man was unexpectedly young, and secondly... that voice, when listened carefully, was actually trembling slightly.