novelden Chapter 160 Response Team, a dignified team building activity!
Chapter 160 Response Team, a dignified team building activity!
"Hey! Butber, when did you go in?"
Upon seeing the door open, Fanze Zhenren instinctively stood at attention. He only breathed a sigh of relief when his gaze fell upon Kuromon Yaoye's kind and familiar face. He then leaned against the wall, his arm around her shoulder.
Ma Shengshi, standing to the side, was slightly better off; at least he was still able to stand steadily and covered his mouth as he yawned.
"There's a secret passage in the interrogation room. Gin summoned me directly. But let's not talk about that now. Come with me..." Kuromon Haruya put his arm around their shoulders and led them away from this dangerous place near Gin.
Huddled in a corner of the corridor, Asagi saw his solemn expression and couldn't help but ask, "Butber, what happened again?"
For someone as usually composed as him to show such an expression, something serious must have happened... Could it be that the operations department is going to be collectively punished by that man because of too many failed missions today?
"That's enough. You don't need to call me Butterbeer anymore." These words chilled the two men to the bone.
Letting out a heavy sigh, Kuromon Haruya feigned sadness, covering her mouth with her left hand while flicking her right, she pulled a black card from her sleeve:
“From today onwards, you will all have to call me ‘team leader,’ fellow members of the response team!”
The group members, who were initially very worried: ?
Fan Ze felt his fist harden for a moment, and his fractured right hand almost healed on the spot!
"Butbell! You! You won't be able to touch Pomeranian Taro again this month!"
Asagi wiped his face with one hand, as if he had returned to that morning when he learned that 'Ms. Elena' was a man: "Guinness, I'm on your side. How about we rebel and take over the throne?"
Fanzawa Masato and Asano Naomi exchanged a glance, their faces simultaneously clouded with a malevolent shadow. With a sinister grin, they gradually cornered Kuromon Haruya.
Just as Kuromon Haruya was about to make his escape, a plaster cast arm grabbed his arm: "Team Leader, don't rush off."
"Hey, don't you guys think this is good news?! Guinness, don't use your injured hand as a threat, be careful you don't get hurt again..."
"Wait, I'm not running anymore. I'm really not hurt, please don't take my clothes off!"
...
A sharp, cold wind swept across the car's smooth lines, and Schubert's "Serenade" flowed from the car's stereo. Fingers rested on the steering wheel, tapping unconsciously to the rhythm. The man in black, sitting alone in the back seat, chuckled softly, his admiration undisguised.
"As expected of a member named after the 18th-century world center of music culture and the birthplace of classical music, their taste is superb."
Asahi, in the driver's seat, glanced at the rearview mirror:
“Mr. Kuromon, it’s no use praising me now. We’re both under orders from Minister Gin to stay by your side and provide real-time evaluations, even if you put on airs as the team leader.”
“That’s right!” Fan Ze, who was practicing typing with his left hand in the passenger seat, agreed. “Just give up and tell me the next task assignment. I have to cover for my colleague first thing tomorrow morning!”
"I have to cover another shift! Mr. Fanze, are you sure you haven't experienced workplace bullying?"
Despite his playful banter, Kuromon Haruya knew that this stranger, who had initially been unfamiliar with the place, had unknowingly adapted perfectly to the atmosphere of Beika. In some aspects, even Hanzawa's understanding was deeper than his own.
Scrolling down the phone's message screen, Haruya Kuromon continued reading:
"Using the Tokyo Ring Road as a reference for regional division, Beika City in Tokyo is designated as the jurisdiction of the Rapid Response Team. The daily tasks during the management period fall into three categories:"
1. Focus on the whereabouts of the escaped traitor 'Sherry' and report any relevant clues in a timely manner. If Sherry's whereabouts are discovered, capturing her alive is the highest priority, but it is not required that she is in good physical condition. If she is obstructed, she can be executed on the spot.
Second, verify the accuracy of information about various forces within the jurisdiction, and pay close attention to the movements of local yakuza organizations. Information will be submitted by the peripheral members stationed within the jurisdiction after the formal takeover.
Third, maintain a state where at least one person is ready to provide support at any time, develop their official identity and social influence, and immediately report any individuals using animal codenames.
"With Gin making this arrangement, does it mean our Quick Response Team is really going to be on par with the Political and Economic Team?" Asagi speculated.
“Mr. Kuromon, you are a photographer, and your pet account on the video website has gained a lot of popularity. You can definitely strike while the iron is hot.”
"A real person?" Keenly catching the title, Kuromon Haruya's gaze shifted between the two.
“We decided to change our address when we met just now, after all, we’ve been through thick and thin together.” Fan Ze turned around and leaned back in his chair, eager to try. “Yao Ye, do you want to give it a shot?”
Despite having used the name for almost thirty years, in Kuromon Haruya's memory, almost no one other than his parents called him that. Hearing those words again after so many years, he inexplicably felt a sense of resistance, as if "this name is not calling me."
"Let's just drop the 'Mr.' and call him Kuromon. It sounds a bit like a girl's name."
He coughed lightly, waved his hand, and changed the subject: "I have some good news about Chengshi. Your official status has been approved, and you live very close to our apartment, so you have a certain financial foundation. Want to guess who it is?"
"It's very close to the apartment, so it must be within the Beika shopping district... Could it be the president of some company?!"
"No, but it's close enough."
Zooming in on the map's location function, the names of the shops on the street were clearly displayed before Fan Ze's eyes: "It's Poirot Cafe! Is this also one of the organization's businesses!"
Poirot Cafe is a long-established shop in the shopping district, but the owner never shows up, whether it's a group meeting of the owners or a festival celebration. Apart from occasionally contacting Kogoro Mouri to collect rent, almost no one knows him.
Who would have thought that such a small detail hidden in life would be related to the organization!
Yoruichi Kuromon nodded: "I was also surprised for a moment when I first found out."
"Chengshi has a good reason for taking over Poirot: the shop owner is getting old and no longer wants to deal with the business. At the same time, one of his distant nephews is facing unemployment, so he conveniently handed the shop over to you to manage."
You can decide the rotation time; the organization has already established good relationships with the staff. The only thing you might need to be careful about is the Mori family in the office upstairs.
Upon hearing this, Asagi was startled. He looked up in surprise and met Kuromon Haruya's affirmative gaze.
Before he could ask a question, Kuromon Haruya looked out the window at the street scene getting closer and closer to their destination, raised his hand and knocked on the car window: "Let's stop here for a moment, I still have something to do today."
Asagi Sakai followed his instructions and parked the car in a secluded spot by the roadside. He saw Kuromon Haruya pull out a pistol and look at the dark buildings outside.
Several fox-shaped Inari statues stood along the path, and a black torii gate stood in the distance. The traces of the daytime festival had been mostly cleaned up by the event organizers, and the floor where the attack occurred could not be seen in the dim light.
Asagi recognized the shrine where the attack had occurred during the day and drew his sidearm, asking, "Is there anything you need to do? Guinness and I can accompany you."
Why would Mr. Kuromon suddenly visit a shrine in the dead of night? Could it be that he still has remnants of illusion and hypnosis?
Heimen Yaoye pulled a hypnotic gas bomb from the seat compartment, opened the car door and invited, "You can come if you want, and while you're at it, take revenge on Chianti and the others too."