Conan: I've been linked to the tech tree system.

And those who hold invention exhibitions here are clearly not respectable people.

......

When Gin arrived at the venue, he couldn't help but frown.

As a high-ranking member of the Black Organization, when did he hold a meeting? In a highly secluded five-star hotel, or in a safe house provided by the organization.

This kind of open-air place looks unreliable no matter how you look at it.

The organizer's budget was far too small.

Despite this thought, he did not stop. He ignored the rows of blue plastic stools in the center of the room, which seemed to be prepared for the attendees, and leaned against a load-bearing pillar in the shade.

They even set up a bunch of plastic stools... Is this some kind of elementary school field trip?

Vodka glanced at the little plastic stools he hadn't seen in a long time and thought the organizers were quite childlike.

But as expected, my older brother just couldn't bring himself to sit on that kind of thing...

Vodka imagined Gin sitting obediently on a small plastic stool that wasn't even as tall as his legs, listening attentively to the exhibition's explanations...

He desperately pursed his lips, barely managing to suppress his laughter, and swallowed hard, managing to gulp down two large mouthfuls of saliva before finally managing to hold it in.

If he makes even the slightest noise, Gin will probably send him to meet his great-grandmother in heaven with a single shot...

......

In the center of the exhibition hall stands a rustic pearwood table, the only colored object in this reinforced concrete building.

Several strange objects were placed on the table, seemingly products on display—but no one present could discern their function from their appearance.

Time ticked by, and the exhibition was about to start, but the organizers were still nowhere to be seen.

Since the attendees were all complete strangers, there was no whispering among them—they were just growing increasingly impatient.

Chapter 48: Calvados makes his first appearance! Then he goes offline (Please read on! ヾ(??`o)+)

"I'm all ready, Gin."

"The same here."

The signal that his capable subordinates Chianti and Cohen had completed their deployment came through the hidden earpiece. Gin looked at the girl's figure slowly emerging on the simple cement platform, a cold smile appearing on his lips.

This time, I won't let you escape so easily.

......

The girl, shrouded in an ethereal aura, seemed almost real under the cover of night.

As she stepped onto the dark platform, she immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.

Without any opening remarks, meticulously prepared interaction, or even any warm-up, a clear, flowing voice began to speak, whether out of confidence or arrogance:

"The first item is the product at this exhibition."

The volume wasn't loud, but it seemed as if it had been specially processed, filling the entire empty venue with her voice.

"【Self-destructing encrypted USB flash drive】—Disclaimer: As this is the first time this exhibition has been held, as is customary, inventions will prioritize practicality."

The girl was talking about a custom she'd heard somewhere.

"It looks like an ordinary small USB flash drive, but its actual storage capacity is as high as 50TB—enough for personal use by professionals in any industry."

"Furthermore, the invention incorporates encrypted self-destruct devices, including body temperature triggering and quantum key distribution."

"After activating the body temperature trigger mode, the USB flash drive will melt 30 seconds after being removed from the holder's skin; the quantum key is a resident system, and once the biometric password is set, a single failed decryption will trigger a trinitrotoluene micro-explosion."

The girl held up the USB drive with her delicate hands, which shone brightly even in the darkness, and thoughtfully showed the invention to people whose vision was blocked because of their short stature.

The attendees, who were initially scattered in various corners of the exhibition hall, were stunned by the cutting-edge technological inventions that were presented as an appetizer and gathered around the booth, creating a bustling scene.

"Please allow me to remind everyone here - the inventions showcased at this exhibition are my latest products, so the pricing will be a bit high, which may exceed some people's expectations."

"If you can't accept it, don't be discouraged. You can visit my shop's homepage to browse earlier standard products—or ask me directly."

"There will definitely be one you like."

The girl on stage had an expression that said, "It's not your fault you're poor," and she was still diligently selling her invention.

"Then the next item is this, [artificial gill neck ring]..."

The atmosphere was easily ignited, and Tohru Tono looked around and smiled with satisfaction.

He could already feel Gin's impatient gaze, a cruel smile playing on his lips behind the supporting pillar.

......

When halftime came, the girl deliberately walked off the field and returned to behind the screen that had been temporarily erected in the backfield.

The exhibition, completely devoid of security personnel, appeared fragile and chaotic in the Tokyo night.

The Black Organization—or rather, Gin—could not resist such temptation.

"Hey, Gin, why aren't you making a move yet?"

Chianti lay on the rooftop, a full 500 yards from the exhibition hall, shivering in the cold wind.

Gin did not answer.

He was just looking at the inventions on display at "Starlight".

Of course, he can't be blamed. The high-tech remote killing method of "suicide drone swarms" is indeed very tempting to the members of the action team.

Unfortunately, according to the organizers, the cost was simply too high—the bee colony was priced per unit and was only a one-time consumable. Without a high-value objective, it's certainly not as reliable as a warm bullet that can penetrate the heart.

This was also the only product in the first half of the exhibition that did not generate a strong response.

"I'm starting to lose control of my hand as I pull the trigger, Gin."

Chianti's sickly voice came through the earpiece again at that moment.

"The head of the cold, beautiful girl suddenly split open, bursting out in a dazzling display of blood—I can't imagine how beautiful that scene must have been."

“She is not the target—Chianti, suppress your desires,” Gin said coldly.

Assassins who manage to climb to high positions in an organization often have some psychological issues that seem quite perverse to ordinary people, and Gin, a novice pleasure addict, is no exception.

But unlike other assassins, he never lets his personal preferences interfere with the mission he is carrying out—at least that's what he believes.

Gin quietly approached the exhibition hall and, leaning on his tall figure, spotted a girl sitting behind a screen, drinking water to moisten her throat.

"Act according to plan."

he ordered.

......

In a corner unnoticed by anyone, a rope slowly descended from the darkness, and a pure black figure silently approached the brand-new screen.

The girl behind her sipped tea from her thermos and scrolled through her phone, seemingly oblivious to the impending danger.

The dark figure pulled out a short-barreled shotgun from behind him and cocked it with a "click".

The clanging of metal finally startled the girl, who was lost in her own world. She looked up and was horrified to see the short, thick gun barrel.

! !

The girl seemed to be terribly frightened and got up, wanting to run to the front row where there were more people.

Before she could even take a step, two mysterious figures, both dressed in black trench coats, appeared on her left and right at the same time.

"Come with us."

Gin spoke, but deep doubts still lingered in his heart.

It went so well.

Since "Starlight" dared to hand out business cards to provoke them, why didn't they bring any bodyguards?

He had expected armed guards to be lying in ambush around the area, so he specifically called Calvados to join him in a frontal flank, while Cohen and Chianti were responsible for sniping cover...

Gin, who was naturally suspicious, paused for a moment.

But it was this half-step that saved his life.

"Kara"

A strange sound suddenly rang out from beneath Calvados's feet. The girl, who had been intimidated by the aura of the three members of the black organization and dared not make any rash moves, suddenly exerted force with her legs upon hearing this sound and leaped over the screen.

Gin's pupils contracted sharply. In a fraction of a second, relying on his assassin's instincts, he kicked back and took a step back, getting away from Calvados's location in less than a second.

"boom!!!"

The familiar explosion sound rang out along with a blinding bright yellow light.

The plastic explosives that Gin had used multiple times to deal with the rats in the organization finally devoured a real member of the Black Organization.

Thick smoke billowed from the concrete hole created by the explosion. Gin, who had narrowly escaped the blast radius, looked up, cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

If he hadn't paused for half a step, causing his center of gravity to shift backward, he definitely wouldn't have been able to adjust his posture so quickly to launch and escape the blast radius in time.

Such an outcome... Gin glanced at the epicenter of the explosion, where only remnants of black cloth remained on the ground, along with the lingering aroma of roasted meat.

While it may not be as tragic as Calvados's case, it's still a case of either death or serious injury.

Vodka, however, escaped the blast because it was much farther away from the epicenter than gin.

He was thrown over by the aftershocks of the explosion and was now lying on the ground, panting heavily.

Chianti's anxious shouts came through the headset, but Gin had no time to attend to his subordinates. He stared wide-eyed through the smoke and dust, looking towards the back of the booth, searching for "Starlight".

But nothing was left there.

Even the attendees who had gathered below the stage were dispersed by the horrific scene of the explosion—there was no one in the direction he was facing.

Gin frowned.

impossible?

"Starlight," which was also affected by the aftershocks of the explosion, could not have disappeared from his sight in the short few seconds when his vision was blocked by the black smoke.

Even if you unfold a hang glider and fly away, it still takes time to accelerate—a person cannot simply disappear.

He walked to the large hole created by the explosion and looked down through the opening.

They couldn't find "Starlight," but they heard the piercing sound of police sirens nearby.