I'm in Detective Conan, and I start with the Grand Theft Auto system.

In a penthouse suite at a five-star hotel in Tokyo, floor-to-ceiling windows offer views of Tokyo Tower and stunning scenery.

The bathroom was filled with steam, and Vermouth was lying in a luxurious bathtub, the surface of which was covered with rose petals, with a glass of chilled white wine beside her.

She leaned against the edge of the bathtub, looking down at Tokyo in the distance through the transparent glass wall, feeling incredibly happy.

She took a sip of her drink, a slight smile playing on her lips.

Xiao Wu's plan is progressing smoothly.

If he can successfully infiltrate the Hatamoto family, eliminate those troublesome heirs, and kill that old man Hatamoto Gozo, then she can indirectly control the Hatamoto Group in the future.

Although there may have been some minor setbacks in the process, overall there were no major problems.

Thinking of this, she took another sip of wine.

Then my phone rang.

The ringing of the bell echoed several times on the smooth marble wall of the bathroom, shattering my good mood.

She leisurely grabbed a towel from the towel rack next to her, dried her hands, then picked up her phone and glanced at the screen; it was her subordinate's number.

She answered, her tone relaxed: "How did it go? Did you get it sorted out with Xiao Wu—"

A hurried voice came from the other end of the phone, interrupting her abruptly: "Sir, the plan has gone wrong. The luxury cruise ship chartered by the Hatamoto Group... has sunk."

Vermouth's smile froze for a moment. Thinking she'd misheard, she paused for two seconds before saying, "...What did you say? It sank? How could it sink?"

The subordinate on the other end of the phone sounded a little weak: "It was Xiao Wuqian. He brought more than a dozen boxes of C4 explosives onto the ship, and the whole ship was sunk."

Vermouth fell silent.

She looked down at the rose petals gently swaying in the bathtub, remaining silent for a long while before finally asking, her voice unreadable: "Where's Xiaowu? How is he?"

The subordinate paused for a moment, then said, "Xiao Wu is dead. Almost everyone in the Hatamoto family is dead too. The only survivor is Hatamoto Natsue."

"According to the survivors on the ship, Xiao Wu was like a madman at the time, firing his gun everywhere, specifically targeting members of the Hatamoto family."

Vermouth's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped her phone.

She remained silent for a long time.

So long that the subordinate on the other end of the phone thought the call had been disconnected and cautiously replied, "Hello?"

Vermouth then said in an unusually calm tone, "I understand."

Then she hung up the phone.

She sat in the bathtub for a long time, holding her phone, before slowly standing up and pulling a bathrobe over her shoulder.

The smile from before was gone from her face, and the wine no longer tasted good.

She walked to the bar, poured herself another drink, and downed it in one gulp. The icy liquid slid down her throat, but the fire in her heart didn't go out; instead, it burned even brighter.

She stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the scenery outside, her expression growing colder and colder.

After taking several deep breaths, Vermouth gradually calmed down.

She began to sort out the whole thing from the beginning.

She knew Xiao Wu well.

He did want revenge, but his determination was not firm enough. He even wavered because of Xia Jiang and thought about giving up his revenge.

So, it's impossible that Xiao Wu voluntarily brought over a dozen boxes of C4 to blow up the ship.

Vermouth gave herself a very definite answer: Xiaowu couldn't do it.

He had neither the guts nor the ability.

The only person capable of doing this is that newcomer who recently joined the organization... Rye Whiskey.

Vermouth certainly knew that the rye whiskey was registered under the name Akemi Miyano.

But she also knew that all the dangerous missions were orchestrated by the man behind Miyano Akemi, named Hayashi Shin, who was the real Rye Whiskey.

Vermouth was very impressed with Lin Shen because the man's style of doing things was too arrogant.

Others kill with knives, poison, ropes, or any means that can be kept discreet.

No.

He always used firearms—submachine guns, shotguns, grenades, C4 bombs—the more noise he made, the better.

He was more of a terrorist than an assassin.

Last time, he even wiped out the entire family of one of Rum's distant relatives. Although Rum eventually suppressed the matter through his own means, Vermouth knew about it.

So when she heard the news of "more than a dozen boxes of C4 explosives" and "the cruise ship was sunk," she could conclude almost without thinking that it was definitely Lin Shengan's doing.

"That bastard," Vermouth muttered under her breath as she stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

She got angrier and angrier the more she thought about it!

She clearly only asked Lin Shen to rescue Xiao Wu, a simple task, so how did it turn into sinking the entire luxury cruise ship?

Is this what you call a rescue mission?

Is he going to demolish a house?

She gripped the stem of the empty wine glass, her knuckles turning slightly white.

She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.

Then she turned and went to the bedroom to change her clothes.

She knew she needed to go see Lin Shen herself.

I have to get an explanation from them, otherwise this matter is not over!

------

The air in Café 221 is filled with the aroma of freshly ground coffee beans.

At the booth by the window, Lin Shen was sipping an Americano, idly watching the bustling street outside.

Xia Jiang sat opposite him, looking much better than she had a few days ago.

Although there was still some lingering weariness and sadness in her eyes, at least she no longer looked like she was about to break at any moment.

She wore a simple white dress today, with her hair tied in a low ponytail at the back of her head. She looked a bit thinner than at the wedding on the cruise ship, but her spirits had recovered considerably.

She looked at Lin Shen and said sincerely, "President Lin, I've thought a lot these past few days. If it weren't for you, I probably would have died on that ship long ago."

She paused for a moment, then said, "So, I'd like to formally thank you."

Lin Shen waved his hand casually, "No need for thanks, that's too cliché."

He put down his coffee cup, leaned forward slightly, and switched his expression to a very serious business smile. "If you really want to thank me, then give me my payment."

Xia Jiang was stunned for a moment. She obviously did not expect Lin Shen to be so direct, without any polite transition.

But she quickly recovered, smiled, and liked this directness: "It's only right, President Lin. If it weren't for you, I would really be dead on the cruise ship..."

"What do you think is a suitable amount of compensation?"

Lin Shen didn't even blink before saying, "No need for too much, 5 billion yen will do."

Xia Jiang exclaimed in surprise, "Huh? Five...five billion...yen?"

Her eyes, which had just regained some of their sparkle, were wide open; clearly, the number had frightened her.

Lin Shen leaned back in the booth, raised an eyebrow, and spoke with a hint of matter-of-fact in his tone:

"Is that a lot? Didn't you inherit the Hatamoto Group? You can't even come up with this little bit of money?"

Xia Jiang shook his head with a wry smile, holding the latte in both hands, his fingertips tracing the warm surface of the cup, his tone somewhat helpless:

"Even if I inherit the Hatamoto Group, it's not up to me to make all the decisions... The board of directors, the shareholders, a whole bunch of people are watching."

"Fifty billion yen is not a small amount; I can't just make the decision to transfer it directly to you on my own."

Lin Shen reached for his coffee cup, took a sip, and said in a relaxed tone, "Okay, I didn't make you pay in full at once."

He pointed a finger at the table and said, "I'll pay you in installments. You can hire me as your group's security chief and just pay me a salary every month."

He paused, then added, "And if you ever encounter any trouble within the company, such as someone trying to sabotage you or steal your position, you can come to me."

"I'll handle it for you."

He spoke casually, but Xia Jiang could sense the weight of his words from his calm eyes.

Xia Jiang breathed a sigh of relief, his expression changing from tense to relaxed: "No problem."

Then, as if she had suddenly realized something, she slightly opened her mouth, a look of sudden understanding flashing in her eyes, and said with a belated surprise, "Ah, I understand."

"So, President Lin, you did this on purpose to protect me and help me gain a foothold within the group."

Her gaze towards Lin Shen held a deep sense of gratitude. "President Lin, thank you. You've thought of everything much more thoroughly than I have."

Lin Shen: "………………"

He cried out in his heart: I didn't! I really didn't!

I really did it for that 5 billion yen!

I'm afraid you'll be taken advantage of by those old foxes on the board, and then you won't be able to give me a single penny!

I don't want to help you gain a foothold!

But he couldn't bring himself to say it.

He looked into Xia Jiang's eyes, which were filled with gratitude and trust, remained silent for a moment, then slowly put down his coffee cup, revealing a calm and gentle smile: "You're welcome. We've mutually benefited."

After he finished speaking, he mentally gave himself a thumbs up.

As for acting skills, he still has a firm grasp on them.

A faint blush appeared on Xia Jiang's face.

She lowered her head, gently tracing the rim of her glass with her finger, then looked up and said with a hint of anticipation, "President Lin, would you like to have dinner with me tonight? I'd like to formally thank you."

Lin Shen opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to refuse, but when he saw the expectation and longing in Xia Jiang's eyes, he swallowed back the refusal that was on the tip of his tongue.

His problem is that he's easily swayed by emotions.

Moreover, Xia Jiang's family is almost all dead now, which is exactly the time when he needs someone to be with him.

Consider it an act of good karma accumulated in secret!

Thinking this through, he said, "Okay, I'll make time for you tonight."

Xia Jiang's eyes lit up instantly, as if his whole being had been illuminated, and even the smile on his lips had a more genuine warmth than before: "Then I'll send you the address later."

She stood up, picked up her handbag, glanced at Lin Shen again, said "See you tonight," and then turned and walked out of the coffee shop.

Her steps were much lighter than when she came in, and even the hem of her skirt swayed slightly.

Before the coffee shop door was closed, Vermouth walked in.

Today she wore a well-tailored black suit jacket over a deep burgundy silk shirt, her long hair cascading over her shoulders, and sunglasses that obscured most of her face.

Even with her face obscured, her aura still made the temperature in the coffee shop seem to drop two degrees out of nowhere.

Behind her stood a man with an expressionless face, dressed in a dark gray suit. He stood silently half a step behind her like a moving statue.

Vermouth took off her sunglasses, her gaze swept around the coffee shop, and then landed precisely on Lin Shen's face.

She walked step by step toward the booth where he was, wearing high heels.