Chapter 31
Having worked in the organization for so many years, let alone Chianti, even Vodka had never seen Big Brother personally teach anyone. After all, Gin had no patience in this regard. Even when he was assigned to the training camp to instruct newcomers, he would discern their talent after just a couple of moves, then directly send the “unpresentable” trash to the body disposal center.
“I have a question,”
Having caused the organization billions in losses, and after nearly being sent to contribute his heart and lungs to the organization’s great research cause, Tequila, back here again, had become much more obedient.
He was cautious, watching Calvados’s expression.
“Isn’t Calvados able to heal himself? Why is he still covered in bruises?”
Asuka Kazuya, wrapped in bandages, didn’t reveal the truth, only glancing back at him faintly: “I’ll give you another chance.”
Tequila: “…”
Tequila: “Although our great Calvados can heal himself, Gin’s attacks were still too heavy. The great Calvados can do no wrong, it must be Gin’s fault.”
Tequila’s words were practiced. Scotch glanced at him sympathetically, not understanding what kind of torment he had suffered under Rum.
The organization was truly a man-eating place, able to train a top-tier killer who yielded to no one into this in just a few days.
Scotch withdrew his gaze, thinking silently that if one day he were reduced to Tequila’s state, it would be better to end it himself and be reborn sooner.
“I’ve gathered you here today mainly to brainstorm.” Satisfied with the answer, Asuka Kazuya nodded. He sat in his designated seat, interlacing his fingers, putting on a profound and reliable appearance. “Come on, Vodka, you’re closest to Gin, tell us about his weaknesses.”
Vodka didn’t know.
Vodka wanted to kill himself.
Who asks about someone’s weaknesses by gathering everyone together?! Are you trying to divide the organization and usurp the throne one day?!
Vodka complained inwardly. With Tequila’s precedent, he didn’t dare to call Gin and snitch anymore.
“…I think you should train hard and reach Big Brother’s level soon.” Still unaware that Asuka Kazuya’s injuries were real, Vodka’s voice became even quieter, subtly suggesting under everyone’s gaze, “Look, from 6 pm last night to 4 am this morning, you were able to last ten hours under Big Brother without using your ability, maybe you can last eleven hours tomorrow.”
What, one more hour each day? By the time he returned to the Metropolitan Police Department, it would be too late.
Asuka Kazuya: “Oh.”
Asuka Kazuya: “You’re useless, next.”
Others have given you suggestions, why don’t you listen?!
Unaware of Asuka Kazuya’s true purpose, the little man in Vodka’s heart roared frantically. He looked at Scotch beside him, but Scotch turned a deaf ear, determined not to join this chaotic battle.
Then he was called out.
“Scotch, you look smart, you have five minutes to speak.”
Scotch: “…”
So looking smart was a bad thing? He should have followed Calvados’s undercover route.
Scotch was speechless. If he knew Gin’s weaknesses, he would have reported them to Public Security long ago, why wait until today?
“If we could see his file, we might be able to start with his childhood trauma.” To avoid Tequila’s fate, Scotch pulled a long face, racking his brains. “But we don’t have the authority to access files, you can ask the Boss if you need to.”
This statement sounded reasonable, but Asuka Kazuya ultimately rejected this suggestion as well.
The reason was that he found that every time he wrote to the Boss, the Boss would forward it to Gin verbatim. Asuka Kazuya angrily called to complain for an hour last time, and not long after, Gin pinched his head, warning him not to disturb the Boss with such trivial matters next time.
“…You actually suggested that?” Ireland’s tone was complicated. Recalling the praise for Scotch on the forum, his respect for him deepened.
“I’m still listening, Ireland,”
Asuka Kazuya shifted his gaze, throwing out the deadly question again.
“Your last will and testament somehow ended up with me, if you don’t want to be publicly shamed, start using your brain.”
This was no longer a matter of public shame.
Ireland calmly glanced at his colleagues, closing his eyes with detachment.
He didn’t expect the organization to be wiped out because of this one day. He would definitely pray for the next batch of people tormented by Calvados in hell.
“If there are no weaknesses, then create some. Do you think he might have a long-lost sibling?”
…That’s even worse, right?
Vodka was speechless.
Even if Big Brother had siblings, so what? Find them and let Big Brother test the new batch of bullets on them?
“No sincerity,” Asuka Kazuya snorted, rejecting Ireland as well after hearing this. “I didn’t even see you mention your own siblings in your will, why don’t you suggest I find Gin’s parents?”
The sound of the door unlocking came from the entrance. Ireland’s pupils constricted, thinking Calvados couldn’t really be finding Gin’s parents, right?
However, the door opened, and Rye and Bourbon raised their eyebrows, walking into the hall under everyone’s gaze, puzzled.
Asuka Kazuya leaned back slightly: “Aren’t you supposed to be watching Sherry?”
“There are others,” Rye replied casually, noticing the tense atmosphere. “Besides, since you sent me an invitation, of course I have to come.”
Bourbon sneered, also holding an invitation: “Smooth talker.”
Bourbon and Rye had just met at the entrance. They hadn’t been at the base these past few days. As soon as they met, they started bickering, the argument eventually developing into “Are you FBI?” “I think you’re Japanese Public Security.” “Are you guilty?” “The one accusing others of being guilty is the guilty one.”
Seeing that they were about to miss the appointed time, Bourbon and Rye tacitly shut up, deciding to save this topic for their next argument.
“What invitation?” Chianti caught the keyword, asking curiously. “Calvados, you even had time to make invitations?”
Vodka: …What do you mean? Don’t tell me you’re going to praise him for his time management skills?
Having deeply understood Chianti’s double standards, Vodka looked up at the sky, having given up on struggling.
“I found a birthday template online,” Asuka Kazuya replied, showing Chianti his Photoshop skills. “‘Gin’s Weakness Discussion Conference,’ it took me a whole minute to come up with the title.”
Those eight words didn’t even need five seconds, but Chianti still nodded cooperatively, praising him for the concise and clear title.
“It sounds like we’re here to take down Gin.” Calvados spoke, noticing the blind spot. “In other words, it’s like a mole convention, it’s my first time participating in such an activity.”
Once is enough! How many times do you want to participate?!
Vodka roared, gradually losing hope for the organization’s future.
In contrast, Bourbon was more normal.
He smiled, speaking to Rye beside him: “Did you hear that? Calvados said you’re a mole.”
Calvados: “No, did I say that?”
Rye’s lips curved into a smile, not to be outdone: “Then hanging out with a bunch of moles, Bourbon, what are you?”
Calvados: “Okay, you’re even worse, now you’re calling everyone a mole.”
Two out of the three Whiskey Trio members had already gone crazy. Scotch remained silent, receiving countless admiring glances just by sitting there.
How should he put it?
The method of gaining their trust was both simple and not simple. Scotch was speechless, not even knowing how to write his report when he got back.
“We’re getting off topic!” Asuka Kazuya raised his voice. “I didn’t call you here to argue! I’m here for serious business!”
His “I’m the only serious person here” expression made Vodka feel insecure.
Vermouth chuckled: “Calvados, with your personality, wouldn’t you usually ask Gin directly? Why did you suddenly think of this method this time?”
“That’s a good question,” Asuka Kazuya replied. “Big Brother said he only accepts physical attacks, not psychological attacks, so he put on earmuffs when he first taught me how to shoot and never took them off.”
Vermouth: “Did he really say that?”
Asuka Kazuya: “He said he would sew my mouth shut if I said another word.”
A mother’s thread in her hand, a wanderer’s clothes on his mouth.
After Asuka Kazuya finished reciting this poem to Gin yesterday, Gin coldly threw him over his shoulder with one hand.
Gin, immune to psychological attacks, was terrifyingly strong. Asuka Kazuya’s wounds reopened several times, and he wanted to use treatment as an excuse to escape, but as soon as he took a step, he was dragged back to the training room by Gin.
Spartan education, on par with the world’s number one killer who trained the Vongola Decimo.
Vermouth: “Sounds like Gin’s style.”
Vermouth: “Unfortunately, I don’t know his weaknesses either. If you kidnap the Boss, he might hesitate a bit before hitting you.”
Asuka Kazuya stopped talking.
Once he stopped talking, Vodka’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.
“What are you doing?! What are you doing, Vermouth?! Can’t you see he’s seriously considering this plan?!”
Vermouth shrugged: “I remember Calvados initially asked Rye to teach him. Since Gin took him back, it’s probably the Boss’s intention.”
Vodka pondered, actually believing it: “…No way, does the Boss hate Big Brother that much?”
Vodka’s facial muscles twitched, watching Asuka Kazuya stand up and hand out the invitations he had prepared.
“Come, come, everyone gets one, I even wrote your names on them, how considerate.”
If he didn’t know that this kid wasn’t interested in usurping the throne, Vodka would have thought he was bribing everyone to rebel.
Vodka took the gold-foiled invitation with mixed feelings, not knowing what expression to make.
The unlocking sound came from the entrance again. Thinking it was another unlucky invitee, everyone in the hall didn’t even look up.
Until the sound of footsteps approaching, Gin stood beside Asuka Kazuya, asking indifferently, “What did you call me here to see?”
Vodka broke out in a cold sweat.
Ireland whistled.
Tequila started meditating on the spot.
Only the clever Calvados had planned everything.
“Look at them ganging up, lawless!” Asuka Kazuya acted, closing his eyes heartbrokenly and accusing them, “Look, only I’m doing serious work, I’m not training anymore, the Metropolitan Police Department can’t do without me.”
Gin’s gaze swept over the invitation in Vodka’s hand, easily seeing the eight bolded words.
Vodka: “Big Brother! Let me explain, Big Brother!”
Asuka Kazuya interrupted him, raising his bandaged right hand.
“Distorting the truth! Sophistry! Big Brother! Don’t listen to him! Heavens, distinguish the loyal from the treacherous!”
“…” Gin stood there silently, unmoved.
He endured for a moment, not exploding in anger, but instead giving a chilling smile.
“You’re doing all this just to get back to the police quickly?”
Asuka Kazuya: “You’re wrong, I already said I’m doing this to work hard and get the list early to contribute to the organization.”
After a day, Gin had already investigated and found out that he was injured because of that police officer named Makino.
“No one is allowed to talk to him until he finishes his training.”
Vodka shut up, meeting Big Brother’s “you idiot” look.
Stupidity was contagious.
Seeing the current state of the organization, Gin did change his mind, postponing his other missions.
He raised his hand, dragging the protesting Asuka Kazuya, who kept yelling “Why can’t you talk to me?!” out.
The half-month training period was shortened to three days. Bourbon heard Gin’s threat, “I told you to learn about police badges, not to hang out with the police.”
…Could this guy even survive three days in his current state?
Bourbon felt conflicted, actually developing some admiration for Calvados’s efforts to protect the information of other undercover agents.
However, Asuka Kazuya yelled: “I already said it wasn’t to hang out with the police! The food there is much better! Let me set up a kitchen in the base and I won’t cause trouble!”
The newly risen admiration was extinguished again.
Bourbon slowly looked away, thinking he had admired him too soon.
How did that Dazai Osamu do it? He still couldn’t keep up with Calvados’s thought process.
