On the road to Beika Town.
A black minivan, having come from Ikebukuro, entered a tunnel.
A flash of indigo-purple mist flickered inside the tunnel.
Moments later, a white Nissan emerged from the other end.
"Cough! Cough!"
In the passenger seat, Kei Shirogane coughed weakly, her head heavy and groggy.
"Sorry, I was too focused on driving and forgot you had a bad cold."
As the words were spoken, a hand reached over from the driver's seat, about to rest on Kei's shoulder.
Instinctively, Kei tried to raise her hand to swat it away, but her movements were sluggish from the cold, and she failed to block it in time.
Thud. Luo Shu's hand landed on her shoulder.
Immediately, Kei felt her stuffy nose, sore throat, and foggy head clear up in an instant.
"Eh?"
Kei blinked in surprise, glancing up at Luo Shu as he adjusted his posture. But before she could say anything, Chika Fujiwara's curious voice piped up from the backseat:
"Hey, Dad, where's the camera?"
"What camera?" Kei Shirogane blinked in confusion, turning her head to look at Chika Fujiwara.
At that moment, Daichi Fujiwara, seated beside Chika and behind Luo Shu, calmly explained:
"Chika means whether we've been caught in some TV show's fake kidnapping prank, like those hidden camera shows Tokyo TV broadcasts."
"But unfortunately, Chika, this isn't a prank show."
"Chika's father?"
Only then did Kei realise something was amiss. She carefully scanned the surroundings and suddenly noticed the silver-haired, fierce-looking man in a suit behind her had transformed into a tall, thin, bespectacled middle-aged man amidst dissipating indigo-purple mist.
In an instant, Kei recognised him from parent-teacher meetings.
"Chika's father? Minister Fujiwara?"
"Did Minister Fujiwara just kidnap me and Chika?"
The realisation left Kei completely stunned, her expression frozen in shock.
"That's right."
Daichi nodded, then offered an apologetic smile:
"My apologies, young lady. We hadn't intended to involve you in this."
But Kei was more preoccupied with the sudden transformation:
"But just now it was a scary-looking man, how did you suddenly..."
While Kei remained bewildered, Chika appeared remarkably composed, merely curious:
"If it's not a show, why would Dad pretend to be a kidnapper?"
"Well... there are complicated reasons. Actually, shouldn't you be more curious about my disguise just now?"
Daichi seemed at a loss for how to explain, or perhaps there was too much to explain.
At this point, Luo Shu, who was driving, interjected:
"Simply put, a criminal organisation has targeted Chika and plans to act soon. For certain reasons, Mr Fujiwara and I decided to get to you both first and take you away preemptively."
"That's the gist of it."
Hearing this explanation, Kei and Chika suddenly understood:
"So that's what's happening!!"
Chika then turned her curious gaze towards the driver's seat, where Vodka sat:
"If the tall thin one is Dad, then you're..."
As she spoke, the indigo-purple mist dissipated, revealing Luo Shu's face to Chika.
"Eh? Shu-kun!!"
Chika's eyes widened in astonishment:
"No way!!"
"Good afternoon, Chika," Luo Shu greeted with a smile.
Kei, startled by Luo Shu's transformation, looked at Chika with countless questions:
"Chika, him?"
Noticing this, Chika immediately leaned forward, gripping the front passenger seat as she whispered explanations into Kei's ear.
"Toyomi's... no way..." Kei's eyes first widened, then she stole a glance at Luo Shu, her cheeks flushing pink as she nodded repeatedly: "So that's how it is?!"
Chika's brother-in-law and father had teamed up to kidnap Chika?
If this were a TV drama, Kei would have immediately complained about what kind of ridiculous plot development this was.
Yet bizarrely, this was actually happening in reality.
For a moment, Kei Shirogane was truly at a loss for words.
Fortunately, the kidnappers were Chika's family members, so safety shouldn't be a concern anymore.
"But... why..."
Kei looked at Luo Shu with confusion. Whether it was the dramatic transformation after the mist appeared or the earlier kidnapping, everything was beyond her comprehension.
Surely science couldn't explain such things?
As Kei remained bewildered, Luo Shu spotted a café sign ahead and gradually pressed the brakes, pulling over by the roadside:
"We're here."
"Let's get out and go upstairs. Once we're there, I'll explain everything in detail."
Hearing this, Kei and Chika Fujiwara exchanged glances before opening the car doors and following Luo Shu.
...
At the tunnel entrance in Beika Town.
Juzo Megure's face darkened as he stared at the tunnel cordoned off by his subordinates, glaring at Wataru Takagi:
"No sign of the target vehicle?"
"Takagi, are you joking with me?"
"The tunnel cameras show the van entering but never exiting. Moreover, we can't find it inside either. Did the damn thing burrow underground?"
"Inspector Megure, as absurd as it sounds, that's the current situation."
Takagi awkwardly explained:
"However, Police Inspector Sato suggested the suspects might have modified the vehicle's exterior—perhaps applying a camouflage film that was peeled off inside the tunnel to change its appearance."
"Alternatively, they could have pre-positioned a large truck inside the tunnel, loading the van into its cargo hold to evade surveillance and create the illusion of disappearance."
"So you're saying any trucks passing through then, or vans of similar models, are potential suspects?"
Megure stroked his chin, frowning:
"That's going to be a massive workload!"
"Fine, start investigating both angles. Oh, Takagi—any response from the Metropolitan Police Department yet?"
"Gun-wielding criminals who kidnap a minister's daughter in broad daylight with pre-planned escape routes aren't likely amateurs. Check our internal records for their identities."
"Inspector Megure, we already have results on that."
Miwako Sato, in full uniform, jogged over, solemnly handing Megure two photos:
"The suspects captured in these drugstore photos have been identified as executives of a transnational criminal organisation under Public Security Bureau surveillance."
"The tall, thin one is codenamed Gin, the large, muscular one is Vodka—both are wanted criminals registered with Interpol, priority targets for the Public Security Bureau."
"Public Security's targets?" Megure's face lit up. He examined the photos before growing serious: "What's Public Security's stance?"
If the perpetrators had been common criminals, the responsibility would have fallen squarely on the Metropolitan Police Department as the primary responders...
But since they're numbered targets of the Public Security Bureau, the blame shifts to them instead.
To Megure, this was nothing short of a miraculous escape!
Time to pop the champagne!
Hearing this, Miwako Sato hesitated for a moment before speaking:
"They've instructed us to withhold information about the kidnapping victim and issue a public wanted notice."
"Meanwhile, the Public Security Bureau seems to be contacting special departments."
Juzo Megure immediately understood - the Public Security Bureau must be desperate.
After all, it was criminals under their surveillance who'd kidnapped the minister's daughter. They'd undoubtedly want to rescue her as quickly as possible to mitigate their own culpability.
Under these circumstances, it was only natural for the Public Security Bureau to contact the Bujin-shū and employ special measures.
"Let's cooperate fully with any requests from the Public Security Bureau this time, no half-hearted efforts like before."
Megure heaved a sigh of relief, then smiled at Miwako Sato and Wataru Takagi:
"...After all, if this goes badly, they might lose their jobs. No point making things difficult for them now."
"As the saying goes, don't throw porcelain against stone!"
Hearing Megure's words, Sato and Takagi exchanged glances before responding in unison:
"Yes, Director." X2
...
Shibuya streets.
A Porsche 356A.
Gin, a silver-haired man in black with a cold expression, smoked while listening to the car radio's news broadcast, addressing Vodka:
"...Vodka, have all the bases Sherry knew about been cleaned up?"
"All done, boss," Vodka replied in a low voice from the driver's seat. "Personnel and equipment relocated, sites arranged to look like accidental fires. No traces left."
"Good." Gin's lips curled into a cold smile. "Then let's hunt down that Sherry cat who escaped through the vents."
As Gin smirked, the radio announcer suddenly reported:
"This morning's armed kidnapping at an Ikebukuro drugstore: Metropolitan Police Department spokesperson Director Nakamura announced police have identified two primary suspects and issued public warrants."
"First suspect codename: Gin. Male, approximately 35, executive in a transnational crime organisation. Silver hair, tall and lean build, cruel disposition. Favours black suits. Known for cunning."
"Second suspect codename: Vodka. Gin's partner. Muscular build. Also favours black suits and sunglasses."
"Both suspects currently armed and at large. Citizens with information, please call ***."
"Police are offering a 3 million yen reward for information leading to their capture."
Hearing this, Vodka turned around in confusion:
"Boss... did we kidnap someone this morning?"
"..."
Gin remained silent for several seconds before crushing his cigarette, veins bulging on his forehead:
"...What do you think?"
Realisation dawned on Vodka, who cursed:
"Fuck! Who's framing us? Since when do pigs play this dirty? Accusing us of shit we didn't even do?"
"The priority isn't who did it - it's that we're wanted now."
Gin glared coldly at the radio before ordering:
"Fall back immediately. Head to Safehouse B1."
As Vodka hurriedly started the car, Gin bit through his cigarette filter in fury:
"Don't let me find out who did this!!"