Chapter 39: Just Who Are You!

Wakaguchi Ren, the leader of the Wakaguchi Group, stared at the back of the man in black before him.

His heart seemed to slow its rhythm, and a chill surged from his back straight into his core. Although the man stood with his back to him, seemingly completely unguarded, Ren did not harbor a single thought of launching a sneak attack. On one hand, he had no weapon at hand to guarantee a killing blow; on the other, he had seen the wretched state of his men and realized the true lethality of the stranger.

He spoke in a low voice.

"Friend, I was unaware of your capabilities, and for that, I offer my apologies. Now that you have stormed our headquarters and killed or wounded dozens of my men, why don't we let this end here? Give me a bit of face. I am willing to compensate you and ensure this incident causes you no further trouble."

Hearing these words, Nara Hikaru released his grip, letting the ledger in his hands fall onto the desk. The light caught the pages, faintly revealing coded messages and monetary figures. He turned, glancing at Ren, his hawk-like eyes hidden behind sunglasses filled with a burgeoning killing intent. Though Ren could not see the eyes behind those lenses, he felt a bone-chilling cold that made him shiver as Nara Hikaru spoke.

"I only want to know who sent you after me."

"Who is she? Where is she? How can I contact her? And how much did she pay to put a price on my head?"

...She?

A flicker of confusion crossed Ren’s mind. The subtle shift in his expression was captured perfectly by Nara Hikaru. Instantly, he realized that this trip would likely be in vain.

Within Tokyo, there were only two members of the Black Organization who could investigate a high-ranking operative like him in Tottori Prefecture: Gin and Vermouth. If it were Gin, his personality would never permit such cloak-and-dagger tactics. He would have handled the target personally, leaving no room for these riff-raff to get involved. Therefore, it was Vermouth who had initiated the investigation. She must have been suspicious, hiring these fools to test the waters.

When she dealt with the leader of the Wakaguchi Group, she surely used a disguised identity and appearance. Nara Hikaru could bet that Vermouth had no intention of actually paying the remainder of the fee. If the targets in Tottori had only been two ordinary people, the Wakaguchi Group would have likely been wiped out once the job was done.

Ren’s response confirmed Nara’s suspicions.

"It was a man. He wore black clothes and looked to be in his thirties. He didn't give me his name, just proposed a deal: help him find and eliminate a man and a woman who had been investigating Tottori Prefecture. The promised reward was five million yen. Once I finished cleaning up the aftermath, I was to call him, and he would come here to pay the balance."

"To be honest, I didn't truly believe he would come back to pay. He was vague from start to finish, and I knew nothing about him. The only reason I accepted the commission was because..."

"The deposit was too generous."

The group leader walked over to his safe. Without hesitation, he opened it to reveal stacks of ten-thousand-yen notes. He stood up and continued.

"He gave me a three-million-yen deposit. Even if I didn't get the remaining two million, it was more than enough to act. Friend, if you are willing to end this now, I can give you all three million. Beyond that, I can also give you a bank card with over two million yen on it. How about it? I believe this figure demonstrates my sincerity."

Ren studied the man’s expression, but behind the dark sunglasses, he could discern nothing. He only heard the man say coldly:

"It seems you are a generous man. But I do not need your generosity."

"Call your client. Tell him to come to this building right now."

Hearing this, Ren hurried to the desk. He picked up the landline, casting a side-glance at the man before quickly dialing the number. Soon, the phone emitted a steady, rhythmic tone. It had connected.

Nara Hikaru grabbed the receiver and raised it. In that split second, Ren whipped out a pistol hidden beneath the desk, aiming it directly at Nara’s head.

This sudden turn of events did not change Nara’s expression in the slightest. He held the receiver to his ear and heard a voice on the other end.

"Welcome to Sanae Cake Shop. How can I—"

"You idiot! You didn't really think there was a number left behind, did you?" Ren’s voice was filled with triumph. "Think about it—he approached us for this job, so how could we possibly have a way to contact him?!"

He clicked the safety off his pistol, the muzzle leveled at Nara’s head.

"Do you know? No one has ever dared to storm the Wakaguchi headquarters and kill so many men! You are the first! But this is where it ends. You may be skilled, but you are a fool—a fool who walked into a dead end, allowing me to reverse the situation and take your life at any moment!"

*Click.*

Nara Hikaru replaced the receiver. He looked up, gazing calmly at Ren, and said:

"I am rarely surprised, but this time, you have truly given me a surprise."

"Because your stupidity far exceeds my expectations—"

"At such close range, why do you think you can kill me? With that gun in your hand?"

Ren instinctively stepped back. He gripped the pistol tightly, his palms sweating. He shouted, as if trying to bolster his own confidence.

"Of course! Your speed is impressive, but you cannot be faster than a bullet! One pull of the trigger, and you die right here!"

"Now, before I kill you and take the remaining two million yen, I have one question!" he roared.

"Who, exactly, are you!"