books44 Chapter 289 We made a promise, we will meet again.
Chapter 289 We made a promise, we will meet again.
The car merged into the straight-going traffic, turned left, and drove out of Kazami Yuya's sight:
"Mr. Kuroda, they have left the Metropolitan Police Department safely without attracting the attention of reporters."
The deep voice on the other end of the phone softened: "Thank you for your hard work, Kazami-kun."
"No, no, this is also one of my duties!" Hearing Kuroda's reward, Kazami Yuya shrank back and scratched the back of his head, somewhat flattered. "But I have a question. If you don't want others to be implicated, why don't you, Director, step in directly?"
"Because of factions." Kuroda Hyōe answered bluntly, "The public security officers who came forward this time are from the largest faction. Perhaps the consultants were too popular before, and now that public opinion has shifted, some people want to take action against Kuromon."
"If he is smart enough to accept the warning, the higher-ups will stop paying attention and getting me involved would only cause unnecessary trouble due to partisan struggles."
"So that's how it is..." Kazami Yuya couldn't help but sigh.
For someone like him, whose rank was only at the level of police inspector, the factional struggles at the higher levels were still too far away. He only began to understand them after that person's death four years ago.
Corresponding to the ruling parties in Japanese politics, the Public Security Service is basically divided into four factions. Among them, the Kyoto faction and the Tokyo faction are relatively large, while the remaining faction is a wandering faction composed of minority parties, local groups, and neutral groups.
The group that Inspector Kuroda just mentioned is the Ma faction, the largest and most influential faction in Tokyo's Public Security Bureau. As the name suggests, there are rumors that one of the leaders of this faction is Superintendent General Hakuba.
If it's that faction that gets involved... being part of the same Tokyo faction, it's easy for Director Kuroda and Mr. Furuya to attract unnecessary attention.
'Mr. Furuya...'
Putting the doubts back into his stomach, another question that had sunk deep into his heart, like an iron ingot, surfaced.
"Kazami, you probably have more to ask me than just these questions, right?" It seemed that his silence had been too long, which caught the attention of Kuroda across from him. "Just ask whatever you want to ask. Since Bourbon isn't here, at least there's someone else who can guide you."
Kazami Yuya frowned. He shouldn't be so impetuous, yet he couldn't shake off his anxiety.
"It's about Mr. Furuya. As you know, it's been a week since he last contacted me, and since then, no matter how many messages I send, they've all disappeared without a trace."
To ensure safety, if screening programs such as assessments, evaluations, or tests are required, undercover agents must communicate with their contacts before and after the program to confirm their status and safety.
But after the so-called 'psychological assessment' project, Mr. Furuya never sent any more messages.
As his subordinate, Kazami Yuya naturally knew the locations and addresses where Furuya Rei usually worked. However, upon learning this, Kuroda Hyōe forbade him from any related inquiries, not even pretending to pass by for a quick look—Kazami's worries and anxieties had intensified since Miyano Akemi's operation failed.
"...Mr. Furuya, is he really... alright?"
......
Buzz, buzz.
The sheets on the bed suddenly jolted, and the figure sat up abruptly, letting out a painful yet relieved sigh.
As always, Furuya Rei washed up, changed his clothes, and tied his tie, making himself look refreshed and energetic before picking up his phone from beside his pillow.
[Rum: Bourbon, your personal adjustment period ends today. Don't let me down.]
"..." Her bright purple eyes darkened, her lips pursed slightly, and she pressed reply.
[Bourbon: I understand.]
Personal adjustment, which was Rum's special "employee care" after the psychological assessment and based on the doctor's advice, required him to stop his recent charade and focus on resting.
Ha! Employee care—in an organization that treats human life like dirt, Rum doesn't even find those four words ironic.
Amuro Tooru clipped his bangs back, looked in the mirror, and traced the still-present dark circles under his eyes with his thumb: "I had a wonderful dream today..."
Under the cherry blossom rain that was full of spring, the mottled and intense white light blurred faces and words. All that could be remembered was that, many years after graduation, the five of them reunited at the graduation ceremony of their juniors, took out their police ID cards and badges, and compared them with each other.
Kagemitsu was promoted to Public Security Investigator by his superiors, and Matsuda actually became the head of the Explosive Ordnance Countermeasures Division, which made him extremely proud!
The squad leader followed the conventional path and was promoted to local police chief; but what surprised everyone the most was Hagiwara, who suddenly switched to become a police academy instructor without anyone knowing!
"This is outrageous! A normal promotion doesn't happen this fast! But if it were a few of us, maybe it really would..."
If the other four people are still alive,
'No...would it really be good if Jingguang were still alive?'
He forced a smile, but it faded, leaving behind a void of blank thoughts that seemed to try and envelop him once again in a suffocating cocoon.
After experiencing Kagemitsu's death, Amuro Tooru once thought he could endure all the suffering and trials in the world.
Until the organization dealt him a heavy blow.
When Akemi Miyano, dressed as Shuichi Akai, appeared before him and introduced herself as the new rye whiskey, Tooru Amuro was certain that a tightly strung string in his head had snapped easily.
Is this really cloning technology?
How could there possibly be such rapid cloning technology in the world?!
But aside from cloning technology, Amuro Tooru could not come up with any reasonable explanation.
All the codenamed members present confirmed Miyano Akemi's death status, and there was no misjudgment or substitution of her death.
Before he could use Amuro Tooru's exceptional rational thinking, Furuya Rei's emotions collapsed first.
'That gentleman was very satisfied with the whisky group, so, effective today, the whisky group is officially reorganized.'
An indescribable, nauseating feeling surged from the base of his swollen tongue to his jaw, causing him to collapse headfirst into the trash can right in front of Morofushi Kagemitsu and Miyano Akemi, vomiting everything up.
This scene was discovered by the attending physician who was still observing the situation in the corridor, and thus this 'personal adjustment' was born.
A gentle breeze caressed his face, and Amuro Tooru's thoughts returned to his recent work schedule.
Unable to define his organization or clarify his future strategy, Amuro Tooru chose to temporarily sever ties with the Japanese Public Security Bureau. The whisky reorganization pointed him to a possible dead end—
If his undercover identity is exposed, who will be the next person to take over Bourbon's position and be held accountable by the organization?
"Mr. Amuro?" A gentle greeting broke through my thoughts.
Kuromon Haruya stood there, like the warmest ray of sunshine in spring.
Amuro Tooru subconsciously took a step back and looked away, only to realize with a start that he had mechanically finished his breakfast and even walked to the small park near his apartment.
Seeing that he did not reply, the young man frowned slightly, his own reflection shimmering in his gentle, clear eyes. He spoke with concern in a soft, feminine voice:
"What's wrong, Zero? You look terrible."