Akiko Sayama felt a chill run down her spine. The sensation of being watched made her shiver. She looked around the empty room in horror.
"Don't worry, Ms. Sayama, I didn't use any illegal surveillance methods. Please, relax."
The voice on the phone had a friendly tone, but it only made Sayama Akiko more uneasy. "I don't understand what you're talking about. Who are you, and what do you want? If you don't explain yourself, I'm hanging up."
This person… they knew about her plan to kill. They knew too many details.
Staring down at the landline on the nightstand, Akiko Sayama clenched her fists. She didn't dare hang up.
"Calm down. Don't be nervous. I'm not your enemy." Still ignoring her question, the man on the other end spoke in a calm, deliberate rhythm, "You're an excellent teacher, with a loyal and handsome boyfriend. You're getting married soon. Such an enviable life… And now, your bright future is about to be buried alongside someone like Jiang Yuan Shinan. Is it really worth it? The most famous detective is sleeping less than ten meters away from you. Do you think your intelligence can surpass his? Do you think you're the one who'll escape justice?"
"…Are you here to stop me?" Sayama Akiko slowly calmed herself down. As long as the caller had a motive, there might be room to negotiate. "I won't stop. He has to pay for what he did."
Contrary to her expectation, the other party didn't respond with threats or further persuasion. Instead, he clapped lightly.
"You're right, Ms. Sayama. I completely agree," he said in an uplifted tone. "Debts should be paid, and murder deserves death. That's justice. You weren't given the justice you deserved. I fully support your choice, haha…"
His voice was cheerful, even delighted. Through the crackling signal, Akiko Sayama could almost see the grin at the corner of his lips—just like the smiling mask of the "Dark Night Baron" now lying on her bed.
"So, what's your point in calling me?" Sayama Akiko stared at the grinning mask, her voice turning cold.
"I'm saying… would you mind if I punished him on your behalf?" The voice answered directly. "I know a place perfect for him. It'll help you get your revenge, make him suffer, and it'll fulfill my personal interests too."
Sayama Akiko was stunned.
She looked at her free hand. On her middle finger was a plain silver-white ring.
It had been placed there months ago by her fiancé, Satoshi Maeda. If all went well, it would soon be replaced by a wedding ring.
…if nothing unexpected happened.
The caller's cadence reminded her of the popular psychology teacher back at school—smooth, clear, and emotionally engaging. It whispered unspoken cues: I understand you. I sympathize. I support you… So don't resist me.
It was a voice made for manipulation.
Sayama Akiko closed her eyes, trying to steady herself.
"You're good at talking, manipulating people's feelings… But you still haven't told me. Who are you?"
"Hmm, let me think… Have you ever heard of 'The Phantom Thief of Hearts'?"
—
"Recommending a programmer?" Vodka repeated strangely. "Why are you suddenly recommending a programmer to me?"
"Uh… Did I get it wrong? Wasn't it you who wanted to exchange a programmer list with Tequila back then? Sorry for the bother, I'll just—"
At the mention of that long-lost name, Vodka's eyes widened behind his sunglasses, and he raised his voice. "Wait! Tequila? Where did you get that list?"
"Well…" The young man on the other end drew out his words, clearly avoiding a direct answer.
Gin extended a hand toward Vodka.
Understanding the signal, Vodka obediently handed over the phone.
"Don't try to dodge, Kumail," Gin said coldly. "Explain everything clearly. Otherwise, both you and Bourbon's budgets will be cut in half."
"Well… How about you cut Bourbon's budget and give the rest to me instead? I can send you the original list directly." The voice on the other end sounded eager.
Gin narrowed his eyes, disinterested in the games. "Are you going to talk or not?"
"That's really boring, senior," Kumail muttered with a sigh, finally getting back to the point. "As you probably noticed, I have a little pull in the police now. I found out from Bourbon that a member codenamed Tequila was killed before completing a handoff. I used some harmless tricks to retrieve the item."
"You retrieved the list—why didn't you report it immediately?" Gin asked, displeased.
"It wasn't my mission. It's been so long, and none of you even checked. So it shouldn't be a big deal, right?" Kumail remained casual despite Gin's tone. "Anyway, I took a quick look and did a bit of research… This is a list of 'tainted technicians,' right?"
Gin glanced at Vodka, who was now quietly focused beside him. He motioned toward the nearby laptop.
Vodka understood at once, opened the computer, and quickly typed some commands.
Soon, he retrieved the results, nodded to Gin, and pointed to the screen.
It was a log of Kumail's recent intranet activity.
Gin gave a final glance, then responded coolly, as if he hadn't just ordered Vodka to confirm the details: "This is part of a top-secret plan. It's not something you should concern yourself with."
"I understand. I don't want to dig into it." Kazawa shifted position on the terrace railing, turning to face away from the wind. The strong nighttime gusts in Izu blew his hair messily over his face, hiding his expression. "I just know the organization wants to recruit some 'technicians with weaknesses, easy to control.' I contacted some of the people on the list. Honestly, it's too general. Not surprising, since Tequila bought it from someone in the industry, right? He wouldn't filter out those with high public visibility. I've done a preliminary screening. I now have one very suitable candidate. Senior, would you consider him?"
Miyano Akemi stood at the sliding door behind him, watching Kazawa speak fluently in Goro Akechi's voice—stringing together lies with complete calm.
She stepped forward and gently smoothed the messy hair away from his face, revealing his cold expression in the soft light.
Kazawa looked at Miyano Akemi and smiled warmly.
With his round face and bright eyes, the smile made him look innocent and charming—but from his lips came words as cold as frost:
"He's highly skilled, but also deeply flawed. Disgusting, really. The kind of trash whose death wouldn't surprise anyone. And more importantly… I suspect he's had direct contact with the real 'Night Baron' virus. If you're not going to use him, how about letting me handle it?"