Chapter 67 Vodka: Bourbon Whiskey?

From early morning until the afternoon, the Japanese Public Security was finally and successfully driven out of the Japan National Stadium by the chief director, exactly as he wished.

They had investigated for seven or eight hours, yet found no explosives whatsoever in the interior backstage of the Japan National Stadium. If those fraudsters had not planted bombs in the first place, then someone must have made a false report.

The backstage staff simply could not accept such reckless behavior that severely disrupted the rehearsals and preparations for tomorrow's Emperor's Cup football final. Consequently, the Japanese Public Security had no choice but to leave a contingent behind to patrol the interior of the Japan National Stadium under the pretext of a security review, alongside a few others to stake out the surrounding area, before finally withdrawing from the premises.

"Furuya-san, are you not staying?"

Kazami Yuya, Furuya Rei's subordinate who had been communicating with the Emperor's Cup producer since early morning, had no intention of leaving. He looked with some puzzlement at Furuya Rei, who was packing his things and preparing to leave, and asked the question.

In Kazami Yuya's impression, although Toru Amuro was a newly appointed inspector who had been absent from the Tokyo metropolitan area for a while, he at least did not leave things half-done. For a public safety incident like this that clearly threatened the safety of a massive crowd, it made no sense for Toru Amuro to leave just because the daytime investigation had concluded. At the very least, he should have stayed to monitor the situation until late at night, right?

"I have some matters to attend to. Forgive me, Kazami-san, I will leave the rest to you."

Furuya Rei had no intention of explaining anything to Kazami Yuya.

He did not plan to tell a single one of his colleagues in the Japanese Public Security about the temporary cooperative relationship he had forged with Yan Shuangying. Although the Japanese Public Security possessed the authority to take illegal measures when necessary to facilitate operations, his transaction with Yan Shuangying clearly fell outside the scope of such authority, and informing others would only drag them into the water as well.

He changed into a staff uniform, put on a baseball cap, and left the Japan National Stadium directly.

However, just as Furuya Rei reached the entrance, he saw that same chief director—who had previously treated the Japanese Public Security with extreme hostility—now bowing and scraping before a middle-aged man in his forties wearing a suit.

Several well-trained bodyguards in black suits followed closely behind the middle-aged man.

Simply catching sight of these bodyguards in black caused Furuya Rei's brow to furrow slightly.

He caught the scent of blood; these bodyguards had undoubtedly tasted violence. They were either mercenaries retired from the battlefield or professional assassins—it seemed this middle-aged man's status was indeed quite significant.

Ordinary people could never afford to hire such bodyguards to ensure their personal safety.

Furuya Rei's gaze shifted to the luxury car behind the middle-aged man, which bore a distinct emblem on its side.

It was the insignia of the Hachisuka Financial Group, a conglomerate originating from Hokkaido that had recently expanded into the Tokyo metropolitan area. He had heard that the Hachisuka Financial Group was also a major sponsor of the Emperor's Cup. It appeared this middle-aged man was one of the senior executives dispatched by the group to manage their affairs in Tokyo.

...I will investigate the Hachisuka Financial Group's activities in Tokyo after I meet with Yan Shuangying.

Without breaking his stride, he naturally walked around them, hailed a taxi, and vanished directly from the entrance of the Japan National Stadium. Meanwhile, the middle-aged man, still conversing, noticed this discourteous individual.

The senior executive of the Hachisuka Financial Group said with some displeasure.

"Is that person also a staff member here? What a rude fellow."

"As a subordinate, does he not even know to bow and greet senior management when he sees them?"

"Ah... Is, is that so?"

The chief director forced a dry smile, momentarily at a loss for words.

As expected, this Hachisuka Financial Group was nothing more than an antique conglomerate from the Showa era. What era was this, and they still cared so much about rigid hierarchies? How many yen a month did ordinary staff members even make, just to play along with this nonsense? Did they really think they were white-collar office workers?

Originally, he had not planned to accept sponsorship from the Hachisuka Financial Group—

However, the Hachisuka Financial Group was paying far too much, so he was willing to swallow his pride and compromise himself for the sake of the money.

The chief director continued conversing with the high-ranking official of the Hachisuka Financial Group and entered the Japan National Stadium accompanied by the bodyguards. Meanwhile, at a vantage point in the distance, Vodka lowered his binoculars and muttered.

"Boss, I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me, but I just saw a blond staff member."

"Judging by the exposed part of his face, he looked a bit like Bourbon... Boss, is Bourbon currently executing missions or on standby in the Tokyo area?"

Hearing the name [Bourbon], Gin replied coldly and indifferently.

"Bourbon is naturally in the Tokyo area, but neither Rum nor I assigned him to this operation."

"That fellow has a close relationship with Vermouth. If you saw him, it must be that troublesome woman Vermouth who ordered him to investigate something... Just make a call and check with Vermouth to be sure."

Gin's gaze remained completely fixed on the laptop screen before him.

On the screen, several red dots representing tracking devices were moving within the interior of the Japan National Stadium.

Those were the peripheral members of the Black Organization brought inside by the Hachisuka Financial Group's senior executive. They would disable the internal surveillance system of the Japan National Stadium during the small hours of the morning, at which point Gin would personally lead a team in to plant the explosives.

If necessary, he would simply eliminate those pesky Japanese Public Security agents inside.

Compared to that half-man, half-ghost Yan Shuangying, dealing with these ordinary Japanese Public Security officers was infinitely simpler and easier.

"...Bourbon?"

The faint sound leaking from Vodka's phone reached Gin's ears.

As a professional assassin like him, there was no need to listen intently; phone conversations at such close range could be heard with absolute clarity.

Vermouth's voice on the other end of the line carried her characteristic, irritating tone as she spoke.

"Of course it couldn't be Bourbon. He's busy with another assignment right now."

"Aren't you planning to send people to infiltrate the Japan National Stadium and take control of the monitoring room? Well, why don't you just have your people check the security footage later to see if that blond staff member you mentioned really was Bourbon or not?"

Vodka ended the call, dispelling his lingering doubts.

Since Vermouth had explicitly stated that Bourbon was carrying out another mission, the person who appeared at the Japan National Stadium naturally could not have been Bourbon.

Vermouth was a high-ranking organization member who, just like Gin, could never possibly be a traitor.

He raised his binoculars once more to observe the situation at the Japan National Stadium.

------

"Everything is normal."

Scorpion's voice was calm.

As the hired mercenary for the Black Organization this time around, Scorpion had stepped right into work mode the moment she arrived in Tokyo.

At this very moment, she was similarly observing the Japan National Stadium from an observation post nearby. Only after tomorrow's organization mission was completely finished would her job be brought to a temporary close.

As for the so-called half-man, half-ghost sharpshooter number one?

She certainly wanted to see whether this urban legend lived up to its terrifying reputation!