I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 685 Betrayal (2nd Update)
Just as Mary's pleasantries with Elena Miyano and Akemi came to a temporary end and the atmosphere eased slightly, Ai, who had been quietly observing, took a step forward.

Her voice was clear and steady, carrying a professionalism and confidence that belied her age: "Auntie, since there are no other plans for the time being, I think we should make the most of this time. Please come back to the lab with me first. I need to conduct a comprehensive physical examination for you as soon as possible to analyze your current physical condition and the specific effects of the medication."

Mary heard this and did not hesitate at all.

She nodded readily, her eyes revealing trust and cooperation: "Okay, I completely agree. Just tell me how you need my cooperation."

Just then, Shiraishi E, who seemed absent-minded, suddenly spoke up. He maintained his lazy sitting posture, but his words precisely hit the nail on the head regarding security: "Tell your people to stop following us."

His tone wasn't one of advice, but rather a casual notification, his gaze sweeping over a few easily overlooked corners outside the window.

Mary's body paused almost imperceptibly.

As a seasoned agent, removing all external protection would be almost an instinctive act.

She quickly weighed the pros and cons in her mind: the establishment of trust, the secrecy of the laboratory's location, and the unfathomable abilities of the mysterious young man before her.

After a moment of silence, she made her decision.

“Okay,” she replied without further explanation. She took out her encrypted phone, made a brief call, and quickly and clearly instructed all the MI6 agents responsible for monitoring and protection in the vicinity to be reassigned, thus lifting the alert.

With the action plan in place, Mingmei, as the person most familiar with the local environment, naturally took on the responsibility of guiding the process.

“The car is in the parking lot nearby, please follow me,” she said, getting up first. The group quickly and quietly left the café, crossed several streets, and arrived at a multi-story parking garage.

Mingmei skillfully unlocked a seemingly ordinary seven-seater van. After everyone boarded, she steadily drove the vehicle into traffic.

Inside the carriage, the initial silence was broken by a muffled cough that Mary couldn't suppress.

She turned her head to the side, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and her shoulders trembled slightly, clearly trying her best to control herself but with little success.

Ai had been keeping a close eye on her condition. Upon seeing this, her brows immediately furrowed. Her professional sensitivity made her realize that this was not an ordinary discomfort.

“Auntie,” she asked with concern, her tone serious, “how long have you had this cough? Has it been constant since you started taking the medication?”

Mary caught her breath, her face pale from the cough.

She didn't hide anything and told the truth, her voice still a little hoarse: "Well... it's been like this ever since that time."

She briefly described the harrowing experience: "To escape the pursuit, I was forced to jump into the river to survive... When I miraculously woke up, I found myself shrunken, and this coughing problem stayed with me. It was probably caused by cold water getting into my lungs, or it was a sequela of extreme tension."

After listening, Ai frowned even more. She pondered for a moment and slowly said, "From a technical point of view, restoring your body to its original state or treating the persistent cough in your lungs are not insurmountable problems on their own."

She then changed the subject, her tone becoming serious: "But the tricky part is that if we want to achieve both the goals of 'restoring my adult body size' and 'curing my cough' perfectly at the same time, and ensure that no unknown chain reactions or conflicts are triggered in the process... that's quite troublesome."

Mary sensed the caution in her tone and instead comforted her, her attitude very open-minded: "It's alright, no need to rush. Things can be dealt with one at a time."

She couldn't help but cough twice more, and continued, "Being able to survive is already the greatest fortune. Everything else can be dealt with slowly."

Ai slowly shook her head, her eyes revealing a deeper worry: "Auntie, my biggest concern isn't the complexity of the treatment. It's that... this persistent cough is probably not a simple aftereffect of drowning or a common cold."

She paused for a moment, then offered the worst-case scenario: "There's a high probability that it's some kind of side effect of the medication itself that we don't yet know about. If that's the case, then the variables and risks it might pose during your recovery process need to be thoroughly reassessed."

Before Mary could say anything more, Shiraishi E, in the passenger seat, interrupted, "Let's pause our conversation for a moment, something's up."

He glanced lazily at the rearview mirror through the half-lowered car window, his voice calm yet carrying an undeniable certainty: "Mingmei, turn right at the next intersection and take a detour. There's a tail following us; it caught up two intersections ago."

"What?" Mingmei's heart skipped a beat, and her hand on the steering wheel tightened subconsciously. But she reacted quickly and without hesitation, immediately turned on the turn signal as instructed and decisively drove into a narrower side road on the right, while increasing her speed.

Upon hearing this, Mary immediately turned her head to look through the rear window.

After only a few glances, her face instantly darkened, and her brows furrowed: "They're my people... What's going on with those cars and the way they were being followed?"

Her tone was filled with confusion and anger: "Didn't I clearly order them to evacuate?" A strong sense of being disobeyed and an ominous premonition welled up in her heart.

She quickly pulled out the encrypted phone again and dialed her deputy. As soon as the call connected, she demanded in a chilling, authoritative tone, "What are you doing? My final order was 'evacuate everyone!' Are you deaf or disobeying orders?!"

However, the voice on the other end of the line, while still respectful, was filled with unwavering resolve: "I'm sorry, sir. We are ordered to protect your safety, and the highest command is that you must not be out of our sight. Please understand."

“I don’t need your protection for disobeying orders!” Mary’s voice was almost forced out through clenched teeth, her eyes burning with rage. “Get out of here immediately! This is your final warning!”

But the other party's reply completely tore off the pretense: "I'm sorry, sir, we cannot carry out this order. For your safety, please cooperate."

Just then, Shiraishi E's voice rang out again: "Oh ho, that black sedan on the left is accelerating, and a gray van is blocking the way at the alley entrance on the right. The driving skills are alright, but the intentions are too obvious."

Mary looked sharply to both sides, her heart sinking – sure enough, several familiar vehicles were quietly flanking them in standard tactical formation, completely blocking any possible escape route for the van.

A sense of betrayal, meticulously orchestrated, washed over her like ice water.

"What exactly do you want?!" she shouted into the phone, already knowing the chilling answer in her heart.

Her deputy, the subordinate she had once trusted implicitly, now spoke in a cold, formulaic voice, completely dropping the pretense: "Excuse me, sir. We are carrying out a direct order from our superiors—please pull over immediately and come with us. You and your 'friends' in the car will need to cooperate with our investigation."

Everything became clear in an instant!
Mary felt a surge of heat rush to her head, which was then suppressed by a chilling despair.

What protection? What support? Her boss never genuinely wanted to help her!
They were merely using her as a pawn, a lure, exploiting her desperate search for her family and the antidote to reel in bigger fish—Elena Miyano, who knew the core secrets of the drug, and Shiho, who might possess astonishing technology!

Now that they have identified their target, they immediately moved in!
How could I have been so naive, almost handing my lost and found loved ones back to the wolves!

Mary's clenched teeth were almost bleeding; she was nearly overwhelmed by immense grief and humiliation.

He served the organization for many years, risking his life for it, only to be betrayed in this way, stabbed in the back by the very system he trusted!

She had seen this kind of thing many times, but she never expected it to happen to her.

She took a deep breath, and when she looked up again, all the reluctance, hesitation, and warmth in her eyes had vanished, leaving only the icy killing intent and resolute determination unique to Agent Mary.

She spoke coldly into the phone, enunciating each word clearly: "Since you choose not to move aside and insist on blocking my way... then don't blame me for being heartless!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shiraishi E in the passenger seat, as if she had expected it, deftly pulled out a compact submachine gun and handed it to Mary as naturally as handing over a bottle of water.

Mary was visibly startled when she saw the weapon suddenly thrust in front of her, but only for a moment.

The next moment, even the last trace of emotion in her eyes subsided.

Without hesitation, she reached out and firmly grasped the cold gun barrel, while her other hand decisively hung up the phone.

Without the slightest hesitation, she skillfully checked the gun's condition and cocked it with a "click".

Her gaze swept through the car window over the vehicles of her former comrades who were now fighting side by side, a barely perceptible pain flashing across her eyes, but it was quickly covered by an even harder coldness.

Since the other party has chosen to betray her and turn their guns on her and her family, she no longer needs to show any mercy.

After all... in the world of spies, loyalty and betrayal are always separated by a fine line. It is not uncommon for former colleagues to turn against each other and draw their guns.

The next second, she suddenly rolled down the car window, the cold barrel of a gun protruding out of the window, and pulled the trigger without hesitation!

“Da da da da——!!!”

The sharp, crisp gunshots suddenly shattered the tranquility of the street. The whistling bullets accurately struck the tires and hood of the nearest vehicle that was trying to stop them, sparks flying everywhere!
This is not a warning, but a declaration of relentless retaliation!

(End of this chapter)