Chapter 120: Gin's Hidden Agenda
The night was pitch black, like spilled ink across the sky.
Beika District, 1st Block. White Dove Pharmaceuticals.
On the surface, this appeared to be an ordinary pharmaceutical research center. In reality, it served as the Organization's secret base for researching APTX-4869.
The ground floor housed a legitimate research institute where conventional pharmaceutical research was conducted—no illegal or unethical experiments whatsoever.
However, everything changed from the basement level downward.
This was the Organization's secret territory.
The research center for APTX-4869.
This project, which Karasuma Renya valued above all else, had always been conducted directly under Gin's supervision.
This alone demonstrated the extent of Karasuma Renya's trust in Gin.
One by one, researchers in white lab coats worked diligently around the clock. Each walked with heads bowed, eyes filled with deep contemplation as they scrutinized the research materials in their hands.
The cold sweat on their foreheads and the scattered hair on the floor testified to the difficulty of this project.
They were racing against time itself, trying to reverse its inexorable flow.
Unlike the intense research atmosphere outside, the conference room where Natsukawa sat was thick with tension.
All eyes remained fixed on the screen, waiting for Karasuma Renya to continue assigning tasks.
The synthesized voice spoke again.
"Tequila."
"Sir, I'm here."
"The Kamogawa base has fallen. We cannot conduct these transactions in the short term. To prevent these people from acting desperately, you cannot keep the dealers you have on hand. Find a way to eliminate them."
"Understood. I'll deal with these people as soon as possible."
"Good. Be careful not to leave any clues or anything that might expose the Organization. You're a member I have high hopes for. Keep up the excellent work, and you'll be well rewarded when our goal is achieved."
Natsukawa was speechless.
It sounded exactly like a ruthless boss making empty promises. Was he about to add, "After I retire, you'll manage the Organization, and I'll just take the final share of profits"?
"I won't interfere too much in organizational affairs. Everything is under Gin's command. His will is my will."
With that, the TV screen flickered and went dark.
The group then began discussing how to allocate the upcoming tasks.
The two snipers looked relaxed. As pure muscle, they only needed to pull triggers and didn't need to think.
Speaking of money, Natsukawa had an excellent suggestion.
"If the Organization is short of funds, perhaps we could acquire that Kyogi Corporation from a while back. The president is dead, and their company is on the verge of collapse. President Kyogi's widow has no ability to control it. If we act now, it won't attract attention."
"Agreed," Gin answered without hesitation.
No one could resist the temptation of easy money.
Natsukawa's words made perfect sense. The opportunity was rare and unlikely to draw scrutiny.
Previously, Gin hadn't planned to act because the company was too small. But circumstances had changed.
The loss of the multi-billion yen Kamogawa base meant Gin needed to seize every profit opportunity, no matter how small.
"Then you'll be in charge of this," Gin directly passed the task to Natsukawa.
Natsukawa: "..."
He should have kept his mouth shut.
Not only had he just entered a relationship with Yor, but he also had a list of people to eliminate. He was extremely busy.
"Brother, Tequila still needs to deal with those dealers. How about you leave this to me? I'm experienced with this sort of thing."
Natsukawa nodded repeatedly, then pressed his advantage. "There are too many dealers. I definitely can't handle it alone. Lend me Chianti and Korn too, otherwise there won't be enough time."
Natsukawa produced a list and showed it to Gin.
The list was densely packed with names—at least fifty or sixty.
If Natsukawa handled it alone, it would take too long and problems would inevitably arise.
This kind of operation definitely needed swift execution. The longer the product remained undelivered, the greater the probability of complications.
People in this business were all fearless. You couldn't rely on the Organization's reputation to intimidate them.
Gin nodded coldly. "Fine. But in that case, you'll need to stay behind. I have another task for you."
In the end, most of the names on Natsukawa's list were delegated to the two snipers, leaving him with only a handful to handle personally.
Pisco, meanwhile, needed to prepare a shell company in advance.
While Kyogi Corporation wasn't particularly wealthy, its value was definitely comparable to Miyano Akemi's bank robbery plan, so a shell company was essential.
Pisco suddenly looked up. "By the way, is Baileys in Tokyo? I could use an assistant. I have too many things to handle right now. I need someone competent."
He'd originally had a capable lieutenant—his godson Ireland—but unfortunately, Ireland was currently injured and recuperating abroad. He probably wouldn't dare appear in Gin's territory again anytime soon.
"Baileys has other assignments," Gin's reply was concise.
Baileys?
Natsukawa hadn't expected there to actually be a member with that codename.
Initially, he'd assumed the Baileys whiskey at the cocktail bar represented the broader category of whiskey.
After all, this Organization member called Baileys had never been mentioned or appeared before.
Now it seemed the Baileys whiskey at the bar didn't represent members like Ireland or Bourbon, who also fell under the whiskey category. Rather, this person definitely existed as a distinct individual.
Vodka spoke up. "Don't worry about Baileys. Just focus on your job and don't push your limits again. Otherwise, next time won't be as simple as what happened with Ireland."
They talked for another half hour, reviewing all details and assigning tasks.
Finally, Natsukawa was left behind.
Once everyone else had departed and only the three of them remained, Gin spoke.
"Tequila, I have a very important task for you."
"What task?"
Vodka pulled out a file from somewhere and tossed it in front of Natsukawa.
"This is Miyano Akemi's information. I should have briefed you about her before. Originally, I was handling this case.
But now I need to deal with Kyogi Corporation, so I'm transferring Miyano Akemi's case to you."
Natsukawa turned to Gin, who sat with eyes closed, and asked, "When do you plan to execute Miyano Akemi's operation?"
"You decide the timing, but it cannot be later than one month. Sherry has gone too far. I can't let her continue acting so recklessly. Her sister's impending fate will serve as the perfect example. I hope she'll be sensible."
"If something happens to Miyano Akemi, will Sherry's research..."
Natsukawa trailed off, but his meaning was clear.
Sherry was currently the flagship researcher for the Organization's APTX-4869 project. Killing her sister might not be the wisest choice.
It would be better to keep Miyano Akemi alive and use her to threaten Sherry into continuing her work.
People needed hope. If that hope vanished, Sherry might completely lose control.
Indeed, as Natsukawa recalled, Miyano Akemi's death in the original timeline had been the final spark that ignited the flame in Sherry's heart.
Her sister's death had caused Sherry to abandon all research. Even when Gin threatened her with death, she hadn't reacted.
"You don't need to worry about Sherry. Since she was born into this Organization, she should be prepared to dedicate her life to it. Sherry's only value lies in researching that drug. If the research stagnates, then there's no need to keep her alive."
"Is this the boss's directive?"
"Are you questioning my decision?"
Gin's eyes narrowed slightly, his chilling killing intent causing Vodka to involuntarily shift aside.
"I understand," Natsukawa replied.
He'd said what needed to be said. That way, if Sherry ended up in trouble, it would be Gin's decision, and he'd have nothing to do with it—avoiding any backlash.
He genuinely hadn't expected this task would ultimately land in his hands.
The assignment was somewhat precarious, but it also confirmed one thing.
Gin seemed to be gradually trusting him.
This was positive, though it came rather suddenly.
"Then I'll find an opportunity to meet with Miyano Akemi and Sherry."
After speaking, Natsukawa carefully reviewed the documents, confirmed there were no issues, and turned to leave.
After Natsukawa's departure, only Gin and Vodka—the tall and short, thin and stout pair—remained in the conference room.
"Big Brother, Sherry is connected to APTX-4869. Isn't it somewhat inappropriate to hand this over to Tequila?"
Vodka felt this wasn't characteristic of his elder brother's style. He himself had spent many years earning his brother's trust back in the day.
Tequila had only been around briefly, yet he was already making contact with Sherry, a key figure in the Organization.
Therefore, there must be deeper meaning behind Big Brother's actions.
"It's a test."
"A test? Could Tequila be an undercover agent? But he previously provided information about the FBI, and he was ruthless in eliminating FBI investigators. That seems impossible, doesn't it?"
Vodka vaguely remembered how Tequila had thrown that grenade recently—pulling the pin and waiting a second or two before throwing it—truly leaving no chance for survival!
How could someone with that personality be a law enforcement mole?
If he was a mole, he'd probably be a double agent.
"This is merely speculation. Shuichi Akai probably isn't an isolated case. There are definitely spies within the Organization, so probing is an essential step.
And even if there's a problem, it doesn't necessarily mean they're spies from various intelligence agencies. What the boss is researching is too terrifying. Countless people want those research results, and some won't follow conventional rules.
This world has no shortage of powerful and ambitious individuals. Their madness and brutality far exceed your imagination.
The underworld undoubtedly knows about the drug research. The allure of this drug is too strong—who can resist the temptation of reversing time itself?
Therefore, the spies might not only come from various intelligence organizations.
Sherry is the core of APTX-4869 research. Whether Tequila is a spy sent by some underworld force—I think we'll soon reach a conclusion."
"But what if Tequila really is a spy? If he directly contacts Sherry and Miyano Akemi, won't that lead to information leaks?"
Vodka hesitated. His brother's approach seemed somewhat risky.
"The Organization's research data isn't so easily stolen. All paper documents are hidden deep within the research institute. No one except me can access them.
The computer hard drives use encrypted software. They'll automatically self-destruct if the wrong password is entered, so there's no need to worry about that. Unless he can abduct Sherry herself, but that's impossible."
Gin had absolute confidence in the research institute's security. Stealing data was impossible, and abducting a person was utterly absurd.
"Big Brother is brilliant!" Vodka listened, stunned. Lost in thought for a long moment, he still felt there was some danger, but it was his brother's decision. He just needed to follow orders.
The intricacies of catching spies were too profound for him to contemplate.
He already had little hair remaining. Thinking about such complicated matters would make him completely bald.
After leaving White Dove Pharmaceuticals, Natsukawa didn't return home but went to Frank's residence instead.
Gin's trust had come too quickly. Natsukawa didn't know what Gin's relationship with the original Tequila had been like.
But judging from the characters' personalities in the series, Gin shouldn't be the type to trust others easily.
So, was Miyano Akemi a test from Gin?
Using someone connected to Sherry to test him—that was quite a bold move. Wasn't he afraid Natsukawa would simply flee with Sherry?
But where had things gone wrong? Had Gin discovered his disguise as Tequila?
Or had the Organization found out about Twilight's NTA commission?
Or did Gin suspect he was a foreign spy and was now using Miyano Akemi's life to test his moral limits?
This thought only flashed through Natsukawa's mind before he dismissed it.
Take Shuichi Akai, for example. An FBI investigator—that guy had no conscience whatsoever.
He'd gotten together with Miyano Akemi to infiltrate the Organization, then hadn't even taken her with him when his cover was blown.
What a complete scumbag! He probably never cared about Miyano Akemi's life or death in the first place.
If Miyano Akemi weren't Sherry's sister, she would have been killed by Gin the moment Shuichi Akai was discovered as an undercover agent.
Gin was someone who tolerated no betrayal. Sherry had played a crucial role in Miyano Akemi's survival thus far.
This was just one example. Intelligence operatives worldwide were all ruthless agents who would stop at nothing to complete their missions!
However, judging from Miyano Akemi's current situation, Sherry's influence was no longer effective.
Gin—or rather the boss—had grown impatient with Sherry.
It made sense. The Miyano couple, along with Sherry, had been working on this research for nineteen years, yet the goal of reversing time's flow remained elusive.
Anyone would find this intolerable, especially Karasuma Renya, who was reportedly 140 years old and required a ventilator for outings.
Clearly, his time was running out.
Natsukawa wondered if the Organization had found new research talent or was preparing to change direction entirely.
Perhaps their strategic focus had shifted from drug-based immortality to cyberpunk alternatives like artificial intelligence or consciousness transfer.
Was it realistic? Please—this was the world of Detective Conan.
With enough imagination, anything was possible.
Natsukawa vaguely recalled that later Detective Conan plots had become increasingly absurd, with scenarios limited only by the audience's imagination.
Cases had involved elaborate death traps, murders staged as accidents, and increasingly convoluted schemes.
The most outrageous one he remembered involved a gourmet restaurant. He'd forgotten most details, but the visuals had been bizarre, the concepts fantastical and indescribable.
Unable to determine why Gin trusted him so suddenly, he decided to set that question aside for now.
He figured that after meeting Miyano Akemi and Sherry, he would naturally find the answers he sought.
Setting aside the Organization's situation, Frank had been tracking the new Phantom Thief's activities.
The reason for this surveillance had nothing to do with his identity being exposed to Kaito Kid. Natsukawa's identity had absolutely no connection to Twilight.
He had no reason to worry.
His investigation was simply to understand Kaito's situation.
"Frank, is there any news about Kuroba Kaito?"
His first heist attempt had ended in failure. He wondered if the second-generation Phantom Thief Kid would lose confidence.
"No, he's still attending school as normal, still trying to peek at his childhood friend's underwear."
Frank paused, then asked, "But he's only seventeen. How could he possibly be the world-famous Phantom Thief Kid? Phantom Thief Kid appeared over twenty years ago. He wasn't even born then, was he?"
Natsukawa smiled slightly. "In Japan, a banker's child becomes a banker, a diplomat's child becomes a diplomat, and a phantom thief's child becomes a phantom thief. Does that make sense now?"
Frank nodded and pulled up Kuroba Toichi's file to review.
"So Kuroba Toichi was the first Phantom Thief Kid? Why didn't you mention this sooner? This information appearing on the dark web would be earth-shattering! It could sell for serious money at an extremely high price.
Phantom Thief Kid disappeared eight years ago, and Kuroba Toichi also died in an accident eight years ago. Wherever Phantom Thief Kid appeared, Kuroba Toichi performed magic shows. Why didn't I think of this connection sooner?"
Frank looked dejected, as if he'd lost millions of yen.
"Don't get any funny ideas. Don't discuss this with anyone, or I'll find your so-called girlfriend and tell her you're actually wearing ten-centimeter height-increasing insoles!"
Frank flew into a rage and stormed off.
Don't expose someone's weaknesses.
Natsukawa, you bastard!
End of Chapter 120