Conan: When Shinjiu and Maolilan swap bodies

"Looks like you're adapting quite well."

Qingze spoke, his tone ambiguous, neither declaring nor mocking.

Rum let out a cold laugh but didn't reply.

What does it mean to adapt well?

Does he have any other options besides adapting?

"The organization has a large task coming up recently."

Qingze brought it up casually, but his gaze was sharp as he locked onto Rum's face, not missing a single subtle change in expression.

Rum frowned slightly.

A large-scale mission?

The major impact of Binga's actions last time has not yet subsided, so what new moves will the organization make?

"What mission?"

"Clinical trials of APTX-4869".

"Ok?"

Rum was startled.

Of course he knew about the Aptx series of drugs.

This is the organization's primary research area, with the aim of making people young again and regain their youth.

Vermouth was favored by the boss because she was the only success story among them.

However, calling it a success is not entirely accurate, as the drug has strong side effects and the conditions for success are difficult to control.

Now that large-scale clinical trials are about to begin, is the boss already impatient?

Too……

He's over 140 years old, and he's been clinging to life for so many years in various ways. No matter how long he can live, it's time for him to come to an end.

Chapter 511 Do you know brandy?

Qingze's gaze silently swept over the subtle yet undeniable change on Rum's face, and he understood.

This second-in-command's understanding of APTX-4869 was far deeper than that of ordinary codename members.

Rum's codename was inherited from his father. Both father and son had been at the core of the organization's power, and their knowledge of secrets was probably no less than Vermouth's.

Rum's expression flickered for only a moment before quickly returning to a state of alertness.

"What are you trying to say by telling me this?"

His voice was hoarse, filled with undisguised doubt.

Qingze shrugged. "It's nothing, I just wanted to let you know."

"Ha. You think I'd believe that?" Rum didn't believe it at all.

Although he wasn't quite sure how much time had passed, judging from the number of times he felt hungry each day, he had been here for almost a week.

Koniak visited only a handful of times that week.

The infrequent visits suggest that this place is somewhat far from where he lives, making travel inconvenient.

In addition, there must be a lot of surveillance cameras here to ensure that he can keep track of the situation even without coming over.

Given the inconvenience of travel, he always had a purpose when he came.

I'm bringing this up specifically... What information does Koniak want to get from him?

He suppressed all expression on his face and looked at him inquisitively.

Upon hearing this, Qingze's lips curled into an ambiguous smile. Instead of offering an explanation, he went on to ask another question:

"What do you think will happen if this medicine actually works?"

Rum's gaze deepened. "If it really succeeds, then the organization will instantly become the target of everyone's wrath. Countless greedy forces will pounce on it like sharks smelling blood, tearing it apart and devouring it."

Don't test people's loyalty. If the benefits of betrayal are great enough, people will choose to betray without hesitation.

Once the drug is successful, it will be impossible to hide it!

Qingze said mockingly, "Yes, that old codger is really cunning. Even if this medicine works, it will only work on specific people."

Karasuma Renya had no intention of sharing the fruits of his youth with his subordinates.

This drug was only for him and his descendants; for everyone else, it was a deadly poison.

This not only ensures the BOSS's perpetual dominance but also maximizes secrecy, preventing the secret from being known to the outside world.

But others don't know.

They believed they too could enjoy such fruits, and they spared no effort in contributing to this dream.

Rum narrowed his eyes, his sharp, piercing gaze trying to penetrate Qingze's calm facade and see through his true intentions.

"APTX-4869...there are already 'successful' examples?"

Otherwise, why would Koniak have specifically proposed this assumption?

“Yes,” Qingze readily admitted, adding, “and the success rate isn’t low either.”

Rum fell silent.

He has been paying close attention to the research progress of APTX series drugs and has also invested resources in it.

Who wouldn't yearn for Vermouth's ability to freeze time?

But he was unaware that the drug had hidden "population restrictions".

A surge of anger, a feeling of being fooled and used, welled up inside him.

That old man, as expected, never intended to share core interests with them.

Rum stared at Qingze inquisitively. "You want to expose this?"

Qingze shrugged. "Why bother exposing it? I still want to live."

Would it benefit him to expose this?

There is no benefit.

When an organization is targeted by a powerful state, can he escape?

His little tricks of disguise might work perfectly under normal circumstances, but if the entire nation mobilized its forces, he would definitely not be able to escape.

He had no need to resort to such a mutually destructive method.

"So what exactly do you want to do?"

"I already said. I'm just here to tell you this."

Rum remained silent, only fixing his gloomy gaze on him.

The other party remained silent. Qingze yawned, looking slightly bored, and turned to walk towards the iron gate.

The moment his fingers touched the cold doorknob, he paused, as if just remembering something, and turned back to ask in an extremely casual tone:

"By the way, do you know 'brandy'?"

"Brandy?"

Rum was clearly taken aback.

Does anyone in the organization use this code name?

"It seems you didn't know."

Qingze's voice came through, but his emotions were unreadable.

Then, the iron gate closed heavily, and the footsteps faded into the distance, eventually disappearing completely at the end of the passage.

The basement fell silent again, leaving only a lingering chill.

Rum sat alone on the hard bed, his brow furrowed.

"Brandy……"

Stepping out of the basement, Qingze glanced at the time, rubbed his temples, and a huge yawn welled up uncontrollably, bringing with it a bit of physiological moisture to the corners of his eyes.

It's likely that this kind of day-night reversal will only increase in the future.

He flagged down a taxi, returned to his safe house, and then drove to Beika Town.

The town of Beika was quiet and peaceful late at night, with only a few windows still lit.

He walked up to the third floor of the apartment building next to the Mouri Detective Agency, stopped in front of an ordinary door, and knocked with his fingers.

The door was opened almost immediately, and Bai Yu had clearly been waiting.

Upon seeing Qingze, a smile appeared on her face, and she stepped aside to let him into the house.

Qingze's gaze fell on her face.

Life after leaving the organization is obviously good. Compared to her silent, solemn, and emotion-restrained demeanor within the organization, Bai Yu is now full of vitality.

She was woken up by a phone call. She was wearing loose, comfortable pajamas, her short black hair hanging over her shoulders, and she wasn't wearing the black-rimmed glasses she used to disguise herself. Apart from her very distinctive heterochromatic eyes, there was little resemblance to the Curaçao she once was.

Qingze couldn't help but feel a little gratified.

He stepped into the room.

This was his third time here.

Compared to the emptiness when we first moved in, this place is now full of life.

Warm-toned lighting evenly filled the not-so-large living room, with several cute cushions on the sofa and a soft beige blanket draped over the armrest.

The bookshelf against the wall is neatly arranged with some books, and even a potted green ivy that has been carefully tended. The vines hang down along the edge of the bookshelf, their vibrant green color gleaming healthily under the light.

A black cat appeared at the sound, raised its tail, and stared warily at the stranger who had come to visit.

"You have a cat?" Qingze asked, somewhat surprised.

This person seems to be living a pretty good life, even keeping pets.

Bai Yu shook her head. She looked at the little black cat, squatted down, and stroked the kitten's head.

The little black cat lay down comfortably on the ground, squinted its eyes, and purred softly.

“It’s a stray cat from the neighborhood. When it gets cold, it sometimes comes to my windowsill. I feel sorry for it, so I leave it some food. Sometimes it comes in by itself and finds a warm corner to sleep in… Now, it probably considers this place half a home.”

"Good."

Qingze looked around the room filled with warm lights, green plants, and everyday items, then glanced at the black cat that had relaxed and started licking its paws, and his expression softened.

"It's really good."

Chapter 512 I Cannot Reciprocate Your Feelings

"I have to thank you. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would never have been able to escape my past life."

As Bai Yu spoke, she walked to the refrigerator next to her and said, "Would you like something to drink? We have juice."

"Cola, if you have any."

A can of iced cola was handed over.

Qingze pulled the ring, the crisp sound particularly clear in the quiet living room, and he got to the point:

"Is there a lot to take care of with Rum these days?"

Bai Yu also became serious. "Champagne hasn't raised any suspicions yet, and everything is normal. But at the sushi restaurant, it's almost payday."

Qingze thought for a moment, "Let's try to delay the salary payment for now, so as not to attract unnecessary attention. Then, let Mr. Zhongshan make an appearance at the right time and pay the salary."

He put down the Coke can, his tone becoming more serious. "I'll be going on a mission starting tomorrow, so I'll have to leave everything to you on Rum's end."

He gave an address and took out a key. "This is where Rum is right now. I've locked him in the basement. There are security cameras all around. Keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't starve to death."

"it is good."

After transferring the monitoring rights, Qingze took out another box.