Gin paused, thinking about the voice on the phone.
Then he realized—something was off. That was Bourbon's voice.
He went quiet for a moment, then asked, "Bourbon, you…"
He was going to ask why Bourbon was "collaborating" with Jangxia Tongzhi.
But then he hesitated. "Collaboration" implied the enemy was someone like Shuichi Akai.
But Jangxia… was also in the organization. Technically.
And compared to the usual group of flaky peripheral members, Jangxia was surprisingly handy. His attitude sucked, sure, but at least he didn't make dumb rookie mistakes.
If Bourbon had also figured out Jangxia's usefulness and was tapping him as a resource, sending him on errands every now and then—it actually made sense.
While Gin was still mulling that over, he heard clinking and running water on the other end of the line—Bourbon seemed to be doing dishes.
Even while multitasking, Bourbon sounded impatient. "Just check it. Let him go after. I still need to use him for something."
Gin narrowed his eyes. "What do you need him for?"
Bourbon gave a couple of half-laughs, then asked in a tone that was all sharp edges, "You trying to meddle in my business now?"
Gin scowled.
He might be a loyal task execution machine beloved by the boss, but when it came to code-named members like Bourbon, he couldn't touch them without solid proof of betrayal—or an official order from the top.
So, technically, they were equals. And should probably stay out of each other's way.
But still... Bourbon and Jangxia?
Jangxia was just an obscure little peripheral member. There shouldn't be any reason for them to even cross paths.
In other words—if someone like Jangxia was in the loop, why couldn't Gin know what was going on?
Gin didn't want to let it go. He pushed again, threatening Bourbon that if he didn't come clean, he'd be flagged as suspicious too.
That didn't work.
Instead, it just earned him a full dose of smug disdain.
Bourbon snorted and asked, with mock concern, "You don't watch the news, do you?"
Gin: "…"
He turned to Vodka.
Vodka, ever the tool person, obediently typed on the keyboard and pulled up Jangxia Tongzhi's name.
In seconds, pages and pages popped up.
Vodka blinked. Somehow, this little cannon-fodder had turned into a minor celebrity, complete with his own webpage.
At the top was a big banner: "Got a case? Contact the Amuro Detective Agency. Phone: xxxx. Address: xxxx."
Vodka: "…"
Wait, wasn't Bourbon's cover name "Toru Amuro"?
He silently turned the screen so Gin could see.
Gin stared.
Honestly, he didn't keep up with current events. Murder mysteries and detective gossip had nothing to do with his daily life. He didn't worry about getting murdered—and when he did kill people, he preferred clean shots and quick exits. No puzzles, no drama. Just business.
He never stuck around at crime scenes waiting as one of three choices for the detectives to pick him out like a party trick.
Gin scrolled down the page, then paused at the earliest case listed.
It wasn't even that long ago.
Jangxia's rise had been rapid.
Maybe people just liked his face?
Gin thought about it.
Maybe Bourbon saw potential in Jangxia's corpse-picking luck and decided to groom him into a proper intelligence agent—someone who could get close to key targets.
The organization had plenty of thugs, but skilled intel gatherers were rare.
Gin got lost in thought.
Meanwhile, on the other end, Bourbon had dried his hands and moved to a quieter spot. His tone was sarcastic, but not too overt:
"You really don't watch the news? I mean, sure, you're not in intelligence, but it wouldn't kill you to be aware of your surroundings. Not knowing your own subordinates—that's how you waste talent.
"Maybe that's why the organization's always short on people. You can't fix that overnight, but you could start small. Like, I don't know… keeping up with current events?
"Hey, actually, my part-time paper's giving out employee benefits right now. Free one-year subscription to newspapers. I don't need mine. Want it? Leave your address, I'll—"
A vein popped on Gin's forehead.
He hung up mid-sentence.
Silence.
Gin let out a long breath, cracked the window, and soaked in the peaceful night air.
He thought quietly as he drove to a location he'd prepared earlier.
At first, he figured even if Jangxia wasn't a traitor, he could still kill him and pin something on him.
After all, Jangxia was just a tool. Like a napkin. Wipe, toss, done. No need to overthink.
But now…
Maybe Jangxia really was useful.
In this world, detectives had high status. The organization had tried to grow their own, but so far, not much success.
Bourbon was clearly trying—he'd been at it for years, but results? Meh. Being a detective wasn't just about reasoning skills.
You needed the right time, the right place, and the right gimmick.
Japan had no shortage of detectives, but only so many bizarre murder cases to go around. If you didn't find a corpse now and then, people forgot you even existed.
Basically, the detective profession needed luck. Especially corpse-finding luck.
And Jangxia… well, judging by how things were going, maybe he did have that luck.
If he kept this pace, he could become a nationally recognized detective, getting close to high-ranking figures. That could be very helpful to the organization.
And Bourbon, now climbing the ranks and busy as ever, probably saw the same thing. Hence this apprentice arrangement.
Still, Bourbon was… an oddball. Petty, sarcastic, and hard to work with.
If Gin went digging into Jangxia's phone and accused him of colluding with the Miyano sisters and Akai Shuichi based on a few unreturned texts, Bourbon would absolutely mock his intel-gathering skills and accuse him of overreaching.
The more Gin thought about it, the more annoying it all seemed.
So, he made a decision: simple and brutal.
He'd wait for his other subordinates' reports from earlier tonight, then decide what to do with Jangxia.
Rumor had it, when Jangxia went to the Hotel to withdraw some money, he stirred up quite a scene. Fire trucks, police, the works. Hotel full of surveillance cams.
If Jangxia had messed up and was caught breaking the law—bye-bye potential, and hello cover exposure. He'd be killed on the spot.
But if he managed to stay hidden… maybe he'd earned the right to live.
…
Gin pulled into an old, abandoned factory and parked.
Soon, his phone buzzed.
It was a video from one of his men, along with a brief note.
—The police pulled the hotel surveillance.
But Jangxia wasn't in it. Instead, it showed a kid planting a bomb and stealing cash.
Gin stared at the screen, thinking hard.
It had only been a short time between when he gave the order and when the hotel exploded.
In that small window, Jangxia had found a kid to do his dirty work? Probably some runaway. Coaxed into becoming a temporary tool.
Honestly, that was pretty in line with the organization's vibe.
Bourbon's snark aside, he might've been right—Jangxia had something.
Gin actually started to feel a twinge of appreciation for the kid.
But…
Still too green.
The authorities took missing children very seriously. If that kid showed up again, the police response would be triple what it'd be for a grown criminal. And that could lead right back to the organization.
Gin opened the car's back door, pulled the cloth off Jangxia's head, and shoved the surveillance video in his face.
Then, scowling, he barked, "Why didn't you deal with the kid?"
He waited for a few seconds, expecting Jangxia to stew in his failure and reflect.
But Jangxia didn't even blink.
He focused his eyes, looked around, nodded at the bag Vodka was holding, and said like he was turning in homework: "Handled. He's in the bag."
Vodka froze.
Two seconds passed.
Then, realizing what had just been said, Vodka's arms shook—and the bag fell to the floor with a dull thud.
----
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 30 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 3/50(approx) for 10 bonus chapters.*
Glossary:
Tool/Tool person – Someone used for a specific purpose, like a disposable asset.
Peripheral member – A fringe member of the organization, not a core agent.