20demayo Page 116
Page 116
Yuki Takada took a deep breath, pressed the answer button, and held the phone to his ear.
"Hello, who is this..." Takada Yuki appeared unusually cold and unyielding in the empty stairwell, devoid of any emotion.
A processed, synthesized voice came from the other end of the phone, cold and direct, without any pleasantries or small talk:
"Hennessy, have you forgotten me so quickly?"
"Remember the White Dove Pharmaceutical Company incident? If I hadn't brought people to support you back then, do you think you could have accomplished the task the boss entrusted to you on your own?"
Yuki Takada, codenamed "Hennessy," had his pupils contract almost imperceptibly.
As he listened to the voices coming from his phone, Yuuki Takada realized they sounded somewhat familiar. Upon closer listening, he realized it was Rum's voice.
"Oh, it's Brother Rum. I had no idea who it was."
"I suppose you didn't just call to catch up this time!"
A deep, aged voice came from the other end of the phone, "What, can't I call you to catch up if there's nothing wrong?"
"Come on, Rum, I'm sure you know my current situation better than I do. Let's stop with the small talk and get down to business," Takada Yuuki replied.
"Alright, since you've already brought it up, Hennessy, I'll get straight to the point. There are three things to discuss right now."
Rum on the phone mumbled, "The first thing is that those who attacked us before were mostly die-hards from those North American forces, and even the FBI was involved."
"The second thing, and it is also very important, is that Shirley Miyano of Shirley Pharmaceuticals has gone missing. I don't want too many people in the organization to know about this. Even the boss doesn't know about it yet."
I know you had a good relationship with Miyano Sherry before this, so I hope you can help me secretly send her back to Shirahata Pharmaceutical Company. Of course, you'll be paid for this personal matter, and the timeframe is within one month.
"The third thing is that the person above spoke. The organization has recently recruited a group of new people. They are of decent quality, but they lack the necessary 'professional' training."
The electronic voice from the phone continued without any change in tone, "Your task is to be responsible for providing them with basic combat skills, intelligence gathering fundamentals, and... loyalty training."
"The location and time will be notified to your usual encrypted email address separately."
"The requirements are simple: equip them with the ability to perform simple tasks as quickly as possible, and teach them absolute obedience."
Training new recruits...
Yuki Takada's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped his phone.
This task wasn't particularly dangerous, but it was extremely tedious and carried a heavy responsibility.
There are too many uncertainties with newcomers, their loyalty is questionable, and their abilities vary greatly. Teaching them not only takes a lot of effort, but also means that he needs to invest a lot of time and energy that could have been used for other things.
For example, monitoring the Metropolitan Police Department's activities, or... "private time" like today.
Moreover, he was all too aware of the dark side behind the term "loyalty cultivation."
The phone call was like a bucket of ice water, completely waking him from his brief immersion in a warm illusion.
"Understood." Takada Yuuki accepted the task without any hesitation. "I will check my emails and make preparations."
"However, there's one thing I think you should be aware of, Brother Rum. My current undercover work at the Metropolitan Police Department means that, apart from my rest time when I can come back to the organization for a quick visit, I can't possibly have time to come every day."
“Well…” Rum said calmly, “That is naturally… according to your own schedule.”
"Also, regarding Sherry Miyano, I hope you can help me as much as possible." After saying this, Rum ended the call without any further comment.
"Beep...beep...beep..."
The busy signal echoed in the quiet stairwell, sounding particularly jarring.
Yuki Takada slowly put down his phone, the light from the screen illuminating his expressionless face.
In the dim light, his deep eyes churned with complex and unfathomable emotions.
There was a fleeting sense of fatigue, an assessment of the task itself, and a consideration of the impending disruption to one's life rhythm.
Perhaps... there was also a trace of regret, something he himself was unwilling to delve into, regarding the "date" that had just been forcibly interrupted?
Yuki Takada stood quietly in the darkness for a long time until his phone screen automatically turned off, completely merging him into the gloom.
He needs some time to completely switch his identity and mindset.
Chapter 141 Bourbon, is that right?
A few minutes later, the fire door was pushed open again.
After calming himself down, Yuuki Takada stepped out of the dark stairwell and back into the dazzling and bustling arcade.
His expression had returned to its usual calm, even more indifferent than before.
It was as if the phone call had never happened, and the stiffness and urgency I felt in the shooting booth had never occurred.
Yuuki Takada walked towards the photo booth machine.
Miwako Sato remained standing in the same spot, almost in the same position as when he left.
With her head down, focused on the British Shorthair doll in her arms, Miwako Sato used her fingers to repeatedly comb the non-existent fur of the doll.
Her profile, set against the backdrop of the cheerful crowd around her, appeared somewhat lonely and forlorn.
As Yuki Takada's footsteps drew closer, Miwako Sato suddenly looked up and glanced at him.
"Takada-senpai... are you alright?" Sato Miwako asked softly, her voice trembling slightly.
Yuuki Takada saw the unease beneath the forced composure in the other person's eyes.
"Um, it's nothing," Yuuki Takada replied casually, his tone distant and polite, deliberately ignoring the probing look in her eyes. "It was just an urgent work matter, but I've already taken care of it."
Yuuki Takada's gaze swept over the photo booth machine. The screen had returned to standby mode due to the timeout, and the carefully selected cute borders and effects had disappeared.
"Miwako, have you... picked up the photos?"
Miwako Sato paused for a moment, seemingly only then remembering the photo, and quickly shook her head:
"Ah, not yet..." She turned around and operated the machine, printing out the two headshots she had just taken.
Holding the still slightly warm photo sticker, Miwako Sato looked down at it.
In the first photo, the two are keeping a distance from each other.
In the second picture, she is affectionately holding his arm and leaning on his shoulder.
As for Yuki Takada... his expression wasn't exactly enthusiastic, but it was at least gentle, with a hint of indulgence.
Sato Miwako handed one of the cards to Takada Yuki with some hesitation.
Yuuki Takada took it, his gaze lingering on the photo for less than a second before casually slipping it into the inside pocket of his coat, his movements as casual as if he were dealing with an insignificant receipt.
"It's getting late." Yuuki Takada looked up, no longer staring at the machine, his voice calm and devoid of any emotion. "That's enough for today. I'll take you home."
The light in Sato Miwako's eyes dimmed completely.
She clutched her own photo booth picture and the doll in her arms tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
Lowering her head, Miwako Sato softly hummed in agreement and said nothing more.
On the way back, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was suffocating.
Yuki Takada stopped the car, but did not immediately unbuckle his seatbelt. He just looked at the person in the passenger seat.
Miwako Sato clutched the photo booth picture, her fingertips pinching the edges to create tiny creases.
She looked up at Takada Yuuki, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating, before finally only saying softly, "Thank you for bringing me back, Takada-senpai."
"Go on up, be careful," Yuuki Takada said softly.
He didn't even turn to look at her; his gaze remained fixed on the halo cast by the streetlights ahead, as if he were deliberately avoiding something.
Miwako Sato nodded, then glanced at the car as she opened the door. The British Shorthair plush toy in her arms brushed against her knees. She looked back at the driver's seat.
In the end, he didn't say it aloud, but kept those words in his mind as he turned and walked into the shadows of the apartment building.
As the car door slowly closed, Yuki Takada breathed a sigh of relief, letting go of his tense facade.
He pulled his phone out of his coat pocket, and when the screen lit up, the email icon in the upper right corner was flashing red—it was an encrypted email from Rum.
Instead of opening the app immediately, Yuki Takada started the car and drove towards the edge of the city.
The afterglow of the setting sun shone through the car window, illuminating Yuki Takada's face in the flickering light, revealing his tightly pursed lips.
The car eventually stopped at the edge of an abandoned dock, where the sound of waves crashing against the rocks was particularly clear in the night.
Yuuki Takada made sure no one was around before opening the email.
The email contained no extra text, just a clear message: a map of the training location marked "Abandoned Car Factory in Edogawa Ward".
The other is a list of new recruits, accompanied by brief background information—most of them are young people with no criminal record, some were recruited by the organization out of desperation, and others were lured in by high salaries and power.
However, when he saw a familiar name, Bourbon, a cold smile crept onto his lips.
"You Bourbon, you finally have a chance. You've fallen into my hands. Looks like I'll teach you a lesson this time."
At the bottom of the list, Rum wrote in red: "Loyalty first, ability second. Those who are unstable will be dealt with according to the rules."
"Handle it according to the rules," Takada Yuuki repeated softly, knowing all too well what those words meant.
The so-called "rules" are nothing more than making things disappear silently, without leaving a trace.
Yuuki Takada seemed to know why he was chosen to carry out this mission.
After all, Rum is currently tied up with Shiraiu Pharmaceuticals and can't leave, while Gin and his group are on some kind of special mission.
Yuki Takada put his phone back in his pocket and started the car again.
The abandoned car factory in Edogawa Ward is not close to here; you have to cross most of the city to get there.
On the way, he habitually checked the rearview mirror to make sure there was no tail.
During his time with the Black Organization, vigilance had become ingrained in his very being.
Even when he is carrying out an organizational mission, he dares not relax in the slightest.
Besides, he's currently undercover in the Metropolitan Police Department; if others see him, things could get complicated.
There's also the news of Yuri Miyano's disappearance. I need to find some time to have a good talk with her and see what happened.
As the car drove into Edogawa Ward, the surrounding buildings gradually became dilapidated.
The abandoned car factory's iron gate was rusty and overgrown with weeds. Only a dim street lamp hung on the gatepost, barely illuminating a small area.
Yuki Takada stopped the car and, instead of going in immediately, walked around the perimeter of the factory.
Most of the factory windows were broken, and it was pitch black inside. Only the shadows of the steel frame structure could be vaguely seen. The wind whistled through the gaps in the windows, making a "whooshing" sound, like the wailing of ghosts.