Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

Rum then investigated several more moles, but all his efforts were in vain.

He had some higher-ranking officials under his command, but he didn't dare to use the other high-ranking ones... After all, finding an undercover agent couldn't be done openly, and secondly, he had to be wary of Godivasel, to prevent the other party from actually using the pretext of finding an undercover agent to lure out the informants he had bribed in the police force.

Rum abandoned the internal route and turned to investigating from other directions.

For his second stop, he sent someone to the Star Garden Bar in the port area.

Rum had heard Binga mention this bar before; he said he had met Bourbon there.

After learning that Bourbon was an undercover agent, Rum began to suspect that Bourbon was behind Binga's disappearance three years ago, so he planned to investigate places where they met in private and outside of the organization's base.

Then Rum went to the bar only to find it empty-handed again.

His men who went to look for clues about Bourbon didn't bring him any useful information, and their search was so obvious that it disturbed other customers that the boss almost called the police.

The series of setbacks made Rum even more annoyed. Anisette called several times to urge him on, and when she heard there was no progress, she would start mocking him.

This made Rum unable to hold a grudge against Curaçao.

—Bourbon was not in Japan at the time, but was on a mission in Moscow. His death was examined and confirmed by his colleague Curaçao.

In other words, he is now being mocked by Anisette, and this confidant is to blame for 90% of the situation.

Add to that Shirley, the scientist who was powerless, and how she managed to escape from the heavily guarded gas chamber is also a mystery, especially since it was related to Curaçao, who had been her guardian for those years.

Suddenly, Curaçao's situation with Rum became precarious.

If it weren't for Goldvasel's sudden rise to power and Rum's reluctance to reduce her own ranks, she would probably have been executed.

Neither method worked, so Rum decided to find a trustworthy subordinate to take over.

After ruling out Curaçao, Glenn was the first person he thought of.

However, Glenn did not accept.

“Mr. Rum, I’m currently visiting a few programmers as you requested. One of them is interested in making a deal and we need to get to know each other better. It wouldn’t be good to interrupt things now.”

This usually diligent and capable confidant looked troubled. He looked up at him, his reddish-brown eyes meeting his directly.

"Furthermore, Curaçao has made too many mistakes recently, and you are short-staffed. Would you consider promoting some more outstanding talents?"

Rum trusted Glenn to a certain extent, but his first reaction upon hearing this was to suspect that Glenn was being arrogant and wanted to recommend someone close to him.

So Rum cautiously asked, "Who would you like to recommend?"

Glenn always spoke his mind. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Those guys from the Muddy Waters Society aren't very capable. They caught a few of them at the hotel last time, but luckily they didn't know much... This time, I recommend Manhattan go. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this code name, Rum's tightly furrowed brows relaxed slightly.

Pramia was subdued by Curaçao and Vermouth and forcibly brought back to the organization. She was initially completely unconvinced, and only after undergoing brainwashing surgery did she become somewhat obedient and usable.

Most importantly, due to her dangerous nature and the unique nature of her brainwashing, only he could control her, and he would usually lock her up in private. Glenn and she were not familiar with each other at all; at most, they knew each other's code names.

"Reason?" Rum asked.

“She’s the most suitable. She’s exceptionally capable; ordinary police officers are no match for her. Moreover, Bourbon was one of the people who brought her into the organization back then… Her attitude towards Bourbon also reveals her true attitude towards you and the organization.”

Rum nodded slowly.

Brainwashing surgery is not a panacea. If it were 100% effective, he would have brainwashed all his subordinates long ago.

At the same time, he was very pleased that Glenn had put him ahead of the organization, and instructed him, "Then send Manhattan. Glenn, you'll have to work hard this time too, keep an eye on her, so she doesn't go too far."

"Yes," Glenn replied, bowing his head.

……

...As a result, the third attempt also failed.

As Rum listened to Glenn's report, his expression grew increasingly grim.

"Manhattan's plan is to create small-scale explosions in several locations in Tokyo. Because her bombs always emit strange purple flames, the civilian revenge group 'Nadunichtokitti,' which is always watching her, will know that she did it and come to Japan."

“These people are from Europe, and their appearance makes it difficult for them to blend into Japan, an East Asian country. In order to successfully exact revenge, they will contact local underground forces to purchase weapons. The Japanese Public Security Bureau, which is responsible for national security, will soon take notice of this group of suspicious foreigners and begin an investigation.”

“Once the police launch an investigation, Manhattan will be able to pinpoint the location of the police based on the location of the group.”

Glenn finished speaking in one breath, then lowered his head as if in shame.

“I approved of her plan. The foreign armed group would be a good distraction for the Public Security Bureau, and it was a good opportunity to catch all those who were investigating Manhattan, so I didn’t stop her.”

Rum didn't detect anything too wrong when he heard this.

"...But I underestimated Manhattan's hatred for Bourbon."

Glenn looked up, his reddish-brown eyes meeting Rum's again. Their eyes locked.

“Hatred?” Rum grasped the key word.

“Yes, Manhattan harbors an unimaginable hatred for Bourbon,” Glenn continued. “Today I was supposed to meet a programmer at a coffee shop in Shibuya, but unexpectedly, the Public Security Bureau tracked down 'Nadalunichtokitti's' temporary base and planned to make arrests. Manhattan had been keeping an eye on them and discovered the Public Security Bureau's presence immediately.”

“Bourbon was among them. I warned Manhattan not to be too impulsive and to at least wait for me to get there, but as soon as she saw Bourbon, she rushed in alone.”

"Not only that, she also filled the streets of Shibuya with her liquid bombs, intending to blow up one of the busiest streets in Japan right in front of the Japanese Public Security Bureau."

Rum's eyebrows twitched violently: "Is she crazy?! Such a commotion will definitely expose the organization!"

Rum's style is completely different from Gin's; to put it mildly, he is more cautious.

If Gin were to find that the target of his gun had suddenly become a stranger, he would definitely continue firing. Rum, on the other hand, would back down to avoid harming too many innocent people and attracting police investigation.

"I'm so sorry, it was my mistake, I didn't keep a close eye on her!" Glenn bowed deeply, his words filled with genuine remorse and lingering fear.

“Those bombs were prepared in advance by her, disguised as decorations for a nearby international exhibition. I ordered some of the lower-ranking members of that base to follow her orders, but they didn’t tell me about it.”

"The bombs have now been defused. To remove the bomb from Bourbon's neck, the police brought in elites from the Metropolitan Police Department's Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit. They discovered the bombs beforehand and evacuated the crowd..."

Rum interrupted his rambling: "How did Manhattan die?"

Did the police kill her?

This shouldn't be happening. This isn't America. Even the police, with their more extreme methods, would at most hit the legs and hands, leaving the victim alive for easier interrogation.

"I do not know about this."

Glenn lowered his head even further. This was the biggest mission failure in the three years since he received his codename.

"When I got to the vicinity of that building, I found that there were a lot of police officers around, so I didn't go any closer. I immediately notified Manhattan to evacuate and then blended into the surrounding crowd to observe the situation."

“After that, her communication was cut off, and I searched for her in the neighborhood for several hours but couldn’t find her… Just when I was wondering if she had been arrested by the police and was about to notify you, I found her body in an alley.”

“She was dismembered and placed in several boxes. I saw her head, but before I could examine it further, other people outside noticed what was happening in the alley, so I had to leave quickly.”

Glenn has always been a cautious person, which is what Rum admires most about him; he feels that Glenn has his own style.

Glenn's performance today disappointed him.

Adding to the even bigger blunder at Curaçao, both of his trusted confidants have recently fallen from grace... and then there's Manhattan; he thought the brainwashing was working well, but she actually dared to plant so many bombs in the streets, thankfully...

...No, wait!
A thought flashed through Rum's mind, and he stared at Glenn: "You mean, the police defused all those bombs beforehand?"

“Yes.” Glenn nodded.

"The explosives in Manhattan were disguised. How did they find out?" Rum pressed.

Glenn paused for a moment, then hesitated, "With the frequent bombings in Tokyo in recent years, the Metropolitan Police Department has a wealth of experience in this area?"

Seeing Rum's expression, he changed his guess: "It could also be that Bourbon reminded him. Before the communication was cut off, I heard Manhattan tell him that the bomb around his neck was the first gift, and he would guess that there would be other gifts..."

Rum interrupted him, saying, "Glenn, investigate the people at that base today, especially those who have contact with Manhattan. I suspect there's a police mole among them! That person noticed it was a bomb while it was being moved, so they notified the Metropolitan Police Department in advance!"

Glenn paused for a moment.

Then his eyes widened slightly, as if he had finally caught up with his superior's train of thought: "Yes, that is indeed possible. I'll check it out immediately."

“No, wait a minute.” Rum interrupted him after a moment’s thought: “Leave the investigation of suspects to Curaçao, you continue with your original task. Did you get the list of today’s transactions?”

“No.” Glenn said awkwardly, “He had just sat down when news came from Manhattan, so I had to send him back first and reschedule for a second trade.”

This was within Rum's expectations. If the deal went through, Glenn, who had failed in other tasks today, would definitely bring it up immediately to mitigate his own mistakes.

When is the next transaction?

Glenn: "Next Friday is the Full Paradise Games launch event. There will be a lot of people there, which will make it easier to trade."

Rum nodded: "Keep a close eye on him. We must get that list. If he contacts the police, silence him... There's one more thing I need to give you."

He looked at his trusted confidant and thought of Bing Tang's request.

Although Glenn made a major mistake today, it didn't actually cause much damage.

First, it was confirmed that Bourbon was indeed a police officer. Second, the guy in Manhattan who failed to be brainwashed is dead... It's good that he's dead. This kind of resentful guy who loves to make a big fuss is a potential threat.

After considering all this, Rum calmly instructed Glenn:
"After this transaction is completed, you will go to Nagano."

……

In the base.

Curaçao received an email from Rum instructing her to investigate internal spies. Without saying much, she turned and left the room.

……

Outside the base.

Upon receiving an email from a member of the organization with a codename urging them to return immediately, Hisatada Irino, a new undercover police officer who has not yet received a codename, slips into an alley.

He carefully took out another phone that had been vibrating incessantly since earlier.

This was the phone he used to contact the police; his fingers, holding the phone, were trembling slightly.

He had been a member of the organization for quite some time, and this wasn't the first time he had sent messages to the police, but this was definitely the most nerve-wracking one.

Because he learned that the organization was going to take action against a former undercover agent who had withdrawn.

Although the contact had said that only important messages should be transmitted, and that too frequent transmissions would arouse suspicion, Hisatada Irino hesitated for a long time before finally deciding to send the message back.

He regretted it as soon as he sent it, feeling that he had acted impulsively, but the email had already been sent and could not be recalled.

Irino Hisatada was both worried about his senior's safety and concerned that his well-intentioned reminder might expose him. With these anxieties, he opened the email.

There are only two sentences above:
Thank you for your kindness, but please don't do it again; you'll be exposed.

Some sacrifices are unavoidable.

Hisatada Irino read through the email bit by bit, then his gaze fell on the sender, and he couldn't help but be taken aback.

The sender was an unfamiliar email address. (End of Chapter)