Stay away from Conan.

Vermouth?

Is she going back to Japan?

Upon seeing this message, the figure in the shadows stirred slightly.

At a time when all channels seemed to be blocked or compromised, this message from another independent, clandestine communication channel appeared exceptionally clear.

“Vermouth…”

The slightly aged voice chewed on the code name in an intonation more like English pronunciation, as if weighing its options.

After a while, a reply was sent, its content equally concise:
How much longer?

After sending the reply, the figure in the shadows slowly leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, as if waiting for Vermouth's reply before making a decision.

Meanwhile, his gaze returned to the main screen, where the dots representing the armed forces he had dispatched were moving normally in the mountains near the Twilight Villa, but normal communication remained nonexistent...

Clearly, given the current situation, the order to silence them most likely failed. Even the armed force sent out is probably wiped out there. So, to prepare for the worst, I'm afraid I'm now...

In the sealed room, apart from the occasional notification sound from the monitor and the sound of fingers lightly tapping the table, there was only a cold, deathly silence.

The calm before the storm is often the most oppressive.

This terrifying storm, unleashed by that mysterious figure and nearly shaking the very foundations of the organization, is rapidly plummeting into an abyss from which no one can predict its course.

Originally, when the incident at the pharmaceutical factory occurred, the guy who suddenly appeared and single-handedly broke into the organization's heavily guarded drug laboratory, and escaped unharmed from Rum, Gin, and the others' encirclement, was thought to be a key figure who could further fulfill his long-cherished wish, based on his special physique that allowed him to remain alive after taking that drug. Therefore, this was the key reason why he decided to let him live at that time. After all, with so many manpower and resources, wouldn't it be easy to catch such an arrogant guy?
But who could have imagined that in such a short time, his meticulously constructed and heavily fortified organization would be so easily and unexpectedly breached by this person, and he himself would become the other party's prey.

Where did this guy come from? Even if this person is related to Jundu back then, given Jundu's understanding of the organization, it's impossible for him to have figured out the organization's current situation so thoroughly without any warning.
or……

In other words, this person's understanding of the organization's current situation is beyond expectation. In fact, apart from himself, it is unlikely that any other member of the organization could have such a deep understanding of the organization's various structures!
Just like...

It's like someone who appeared out of nowhere!
Thinking of this, the hand that had been lightly tapping the table suddenly clenched into a fist—

Damn!

However, it didn't escalate into irrational anger; it was merely a momentary emotional shift. And Vermouth's reply came faster than expected—

"Arrived. My intelligence says there's been a lot of activity at the Twilight Villa, and communications have been completely cut off. Do you need me to go over there?"

The figure in the shadows stared at the words for a long time without making a move.

We've arrived...

Unfortunately, it was too late.

And, send her to the Twilight Villa?

That place is now an unpredictable quagmire.

Even their supposedly invincible armed forces may have been lost there. What could Vermouth possibly change by going there alone?
more importantly--

"No need. Let me handle it."

He finally issued the command, his fingers typing those words with a hint of weariness and decisiveness that even he himself might not have noticed.

The Twilight Villa has been exposed, and its secrets—whether it be the gold or the clues about the so-called "Karasuma Renya"—can no longer be concealed.

Going there now would be pointless, except perhaps falling into more traps set by that mysterious madman.

But more importantly, it's about myself now...

Thinking of this, the gaze from the shadows swept across the place where he was now—

This place hasn't been exposed yet. At least...

Not at present.

But if that madman forced me to use the ultimate method of silencing him, and the silencing attempt failed...

The other party may have already intercepted or even tampered with my instructions...

Then we cannot rule out the possibility that he found this place.

And this may only be a matter of time.

Preparations must be made in advance.

Transfer? Or...?

His withered fingers slowly tightened.

There are sufficient defenses and escape routes here, but just in case, there are still some things that Vermouth's cooperation is needed—

After all, if there's anyone in this world he can completely trust right now, it's probably only Vermouth.

Based on identity...

"clear."

Vermouth's reply was brief and to the point, without asking any further questions, as if everything was a matter of course.

At this point, the person in the shadows seemed to breathe a slight sigh of relief, leaning back in their chair, and then began to consider what powers they could still utilize—

Of course, distant water cannot quench immediate thirst; everything is limited to the resources available now.

However, at this moment he was completely unaware that while he was communicating with Vermouth, far away on Gao Yuan's side, he was precisely pinpointing the location of the person communicating with Vermouth by locking onto this communication.

Subsequently, the two drones, which had been remotely controlled by Gao Yuan and were flying along the foothills, were using artificial intelligence programs to fly at an astonishing speed and altitude toward their actual geographical location, which was the location of the signal they were tracking.

They flew over silent forests, skimmed over scattered farmhouses, and avoided main roads and towns with obvious inhabitants.

Then, as it flew over a seemingly ordinary hillside covered in dense trees, multiple sensors on board the aircraft detected changes almost simultaneously—

We were no longer in the desolate area we had just left, but had entered a clearly bustling urban area!
Upon seeing the images transmitted remotely, Gao Yuan, who was still fleeing at the Twilight Villa, suddenly felt a surge of energy. He forcefully focused his fading consciousness, staring intently at the content displayed on the screen—

Although Gao Yuan already knew from the signal positioning data that the location was close to the city, but...

I initially thought the other party was located in a remote area near the city, such as a villa in the nearby mountains or a secret base. But now, judging from the actual scene and location, the mastermind behind the organization is hiding in a bustling city.

That was quite unexpected.

near...

almost……

The true identity of the organization's mastermind is about to be revealed!
If we can confirm this, then this time...

Just as Gao Yuan was looking at the footage transmitted by the drone, which showed a private hospital occupying a vast area, an unexpected incident suddenly occurred...

Gao Yuan's vision went black—

This dream replay has ended! (End of Chapter)