Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

……

"Your identity has been exposed."

"Aren't you going to kill me?"

"You should leave now, get out of here."

"You'll be punished if you don't execute me, won't you?"

"Why are you being so indecisive? Get out of here!"

……

Gin coldly stared at the battered and bruised people in the electrotherapy room, who had lost control of their bodies.

"It's foolish to get yourself into this situation because of some fleeting, false feelings."

"You killed him?" Qingze struggled to control his vocal cords, his voice hoarse and broken.

"Getting rid of the rats was just a side job."

Upon hearing this, Qingze gave him a cold look and closed his eyes to hide the murderous intent that was rising within him.

Gin completely ignored his refusal to communicate and slowly wiped the pistol in his hand.

“During my interrogation, he implicated you, describing in detail how he lowered your guard, gave him information about the organization, and then let him go…”

As he said this, a mocking smile appeared on his face.

"So, do you want to hear his opinion of you?"

Qingze didn't even blink, completely ignoring him.

"An executioner doesn't become a good person just because he did a good deed."

"Your kindness will only be a tool for others to exploit."

"Koniak, put away your excessive sympathy and kindness. If this happens again, be prepared to be locked in a laboratory and used as a guinea pig!"

……

After that, Qingze never asked for a partner again.

……

Memories surged in like a tide, only to recede quickly in the cold night wind, leaving behind a sticky, oppressive feeling stuck in my chest.

Qingze stopped, took out a handful of candies from his pocket, picked and chose one lemon-flavored one, tore it open and put it in his mouth.

The sweet and sour flavor spread, not strongly, but it was much better than not being able to taste it at all.

"You still need to control your sugar intake, it's bad for your teeth..."

"Three pills a day? That's a bit too few, how about five..."

He muttered a few words, counted the remaining candies, and stuffed them back into his pocket. "Ten will do, don't make it hard on yourself."

Savoring the candy in his mouth, he took out his phone, opened the location app, and several red dots appeared on it, but none of these red dots had anything to do with Sera Masumi.

In the deserted night, his eyes looked weary.

After standing there for a moment, he put his phone back in his pocket and turned to look in the distance towards the sushi restaurant.

The sushi restaurant there had already turned off its lights and closed for the day, but at that moment, a faint light was emanating from the windows on the third floor.

He gazed at the light with a lingering gaze, his breath dissipating rapidly into the air.

……

The third floor of the sushi restaurant.

Rum sat alone in the living room.

He didn't turn on the lights; the television's glow illuminated the living room, and the sound of the TV program was like white noise in the background. His attention was focused on the low table beside him.

On the table were a laptop, a notebook, and a pen.

He held a fountain pen and occasionally wrote in his notebook.

I have a lot on my plate right now, and none of them are trivial.

First, there's the US military stationed in Japan; we've already established contact there and can begin preliminary cooperation.

Normally, Vermouth could be in charge, as she is very good at maneuvering. However, since Vermouth needs to infiltrate the core R&D team of the cross-age recognition system, she is too busy to handle everything and someone else has to be arranged.

Who should I assign to...?

Rum's pen tip hovered above the paper.

The paper contained only a few names that were still usable: Gin, Vodka, Cohen, Flavord, and Koniak.

Gin is currently under close surveillance by the Metropolitan Police Department, making it unsuitable for him to appear in public and oversee transactions with the U.S. military stationed in Japan.

Cohen and Vodka can be ruled out immediately; the former is a quiet and reserved person, and the latter is not capable of handling such a big matter.

Fryward is a good assassin in many ways, but when it comes to negotiations and maneuvering, he'd probably be in trouble.

His pen finally stopped on the last name.

Koniak.

His abilities are undeniable, but he's too unstable. If the cooperation fails and he ends up causing trouble for the organization, that would be terrible.

But there doesn't seem to be a better candidate at the moment.

He leaned back, and the tatami mats creaked softly.

Once upon a time, how powerful and well-equipped was the organization in Tokyo?

Pisco, Ireland, Tequila, Chianti, Curaçao, Kiel, Oddon...

This group certainly has no shortage of skilled negotiators, maneuverers, and traders.

The necessary clearing brought cleanliness, but also left empty spaces that no one could use.

Of his three most capable subordinates, one was an undercover agent, one has been reduced to ashes, and one has gone missing.

The rest are not enough to support the overall situation.

"It's time to promote some new people."

Rum muttered to himself, his fingers tapping on the keyboard as he wrote down the "personnel replenishment" regulations.

This matter must be handled quickly, but the choice of personnel must be made with utmost care—he doesn't want to cultivate another traitor.

The notebook turned a page.

"Binga has gone missing."

He drew two overlapping circles on the name, his brushstrokes penetrating the paper.

Binga is most likely in the hands of the FBI, but he could also be dead or have defected.

Regardless of the type, it must be thoroughly investigated.

There is a readily available worker for this matter.

A cold smile appeared on Rum's lips.

Since we're still in the organization, we have to keep working.

Regardless of the process, he only cares about the result.

There were also actions targeting Shuichi Akai.

Although Gin was in charge, he had to make sure the fierce dog didn't go too far with its bites, causing too much of a commotion and attracting a hunt from the entire Metropolitan Police Department.

Finally, his gaze returned to the name "Koniak".

The flickering light from the indoor television screen illuminated half of his face.

He lit a cigar, its red glow flickering in the dim light.

Chess must be played one move at a time, and so must the path of life.

To master this knife, one must neither rush nor make mistakes.

Chapter 445 What are you planning to do hiding here?

Late at night, the moon was obscured by clouds, not even sparing a sliver of light.

Rum was resting in a cramped bedroom on the third floor of the sushi restaurant.

The environment here is so different from his villa, and the bed is nowhere near as comfortable as his custom-made one.

But since the goal is to remain in hiding and disguise oneself, one must conform to the identity of the person in hiding and not reveal any flaws.

Perhaps it was because the bed was uncomfortable, but he couldn't sleep soundly, and even in his dreams, his brows were deeply furrowed.

The air was heavy and stifling; every breath felt like it was being blocked.

The dream came without warning.

In his dream, he seemed to still be lying on this bed, but he couldn't move even a finger.

In the dim light, a figure appeared silently beside his bed.

Strands of white hair peeked out from under the hood, and his scarlet eyes burned like eerie flames in the night.

He wore an undisguised sneer as he looked down at him as if examining an inanimate object.

"Found you, Rum."

He spoke softly, his voice as soft as a whisper, yet it carried a chilling edge.

Before he could finish speaking, a gun appeared in Koniak's hand, its dark muzzle pointed directly at his forehead.

There was no hesitation, no negotiation, only pure killing intent.

The trigger is pulled—

"Ugh!"

Rum opened his eyes abruptly, letting out a short, suppressed gasp from deep in his throat, and almost sprang up from the bed.

My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, and my back was instantly soaked with cold sweat.

He was panting heavily, his eyes wide open, scanning the dimly lit room with lingering fear.

It was a dream... just a nightmare.

He raised his slightly trembling hand and hastily wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, trying to calm his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was about to burst out of his throat.

The older you get, the more you fear death.

He concealed his face and disguised his voice in order to stay behind the scenes and hide himself in a safe place.

Realizing his identity might be discovered, he immediately set up a visible double while he himself remained hidden in the shadows.

He's hidden so well, and he hasn't even run into Koniak, so there's no way Koniak could have discovered him.

As he thought this, he relaxed.

But in that brief moment of relaxation, he keenly sensed that something was amiss.

Beside the bed, in the shadows where there should have been only air, a silhouette slowly became clear.

It was as if a dream had come true.

Rum's blood almost froze at that moment.

His pupils suddenly contracted, and he incredulously turned his stiff neck inch by inch.

Just then, the moonlight peeked through the clouds, sparingly casting a pale sliver of light through the gap in the curtains.

It also illuminated the face of the person beside the bed, who had a playful smile on his face.

Koniak!

He really is here.

It's not an illusion, it's not a dream.

He stood there casually, as if he had been waiting for a long time, the curve of his mouth perfectly overlapping the sinister smile in his dream.

Those scarlet eyes shone eerily in the dim light, gleefully enjoying the look of terror on his face.