Isn't it very scientific to use the Death Note to kill people?

The screen displays surveillance footage of several key locations inside the building.

In the footage, the FBI's operation was swift and efficient; the entire process, from ramming the gate with their car to the killing of several members, took only a few dozen seconds.

Then comes the scene of Naomi Algent being taken away.

"All the guards are dead. The FBI acted quickly, leaving no survivors and wasting no time. Brother, we probably won't find any direct clues at the scene."

Gin's expression darkened further.

The trail went cold here, which is a bit troublesome.

He didn't even know that the woman named Naomi Algent was being held captive here, which meant that very few people knew the exact location.

So who has the ability and the motive to sell intelligence to the FBI?

Gin dialed Vermouth's number almost without hesitation.

After the call connected, he went straight to the point: "Besides you, who else knows that the woman is being held here?"

Vermouth on the other end of the phone seemed to have anticipated his question. Without further ado, she replied, "The Boss is naturally the first to know. Besides him, there are only a few low-level guards. However... I can't guarantee that something might have gone wrong, or that some 'ears' we don't know might have overheard the news."

"Was the guard who died in that house the only one who knew the truth?"

"That's right."

"..."

In the brief silence, Gin began to ponder.

This trouble was entirely caused by Vermouth's unnecessary actions, but precisely because of this, she is the least suspicious... At least from Gin's perspective on this matter, he never considered that this woman was asking for trouble.

"Debating the FBI's sources is pointless now, Gin. The priority is to complete the Boss's orders and find the FBI and that woman as soon as possible—"

“You’ve really given me a lot of trouble, Vermouth.”

Gin coldly interrupted her.

Vermouth retorted without backing down: "That gentleman has already said enough in the email, there's no need for you to parrot it again. On the contrary, Gin, you've cleaned up so many undercover agents and traitors, yet the organization is still riddled with infiltration."

A cold glint flashed in Gin's eyes. He stopped the pointless argument and hung up the phone.

He then went to his email.

[Begin standby, ready to execute missions at any time]

—Send mass emails.

In addition to his usual names Cohen and Chianti, this time he added Kiel and Tequila to the recipients' names.

These people quickly replied that they had received the message.

Unlike the rescue of Kiel, this time the goal is simply to confront the FBI head-on and kill someone...

Once the FBI's location is confirmed, action can be taken immediately.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

As night deepened, all was quiet.

Only a soft floor lamp illuminated the room, dispelling some of the darkness and creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

Long after finishing their table tennis activity, the two were sitting at a low table in their room, enjoying the exquisite late-night snacks provided by the hotel, while a slow-paced old movie had just finished playing on the television next to them.

Eri Kisaki picked up the beer glass beside her and drank the rest in one gulp. The cold beer went down her throat and she let out a satisfied sigh.

Her cheeks were flushed with a faint blush, not from drunkenness, but from the relaxation and ease of being completely freed from heavy work and daily chores.

"It's been so long since I've watched a movie from beginning to end without any distractions." Eri Kisaki put her glass back on the table, her tone unusually bright. "Usually I'm either busy looking at case files or getting interrupted by all sorts of phone calls."

"Being able to completely relax is a good thing."

Lin Jiashu responded with a smile, putting a piece of tamagoyaki into his mouth, "Aunt Yingli is usually too strict with herself, I can't usually do that."

"Because it's very empty to do nothing."

So I had no choice but to keep myself busy.

Eri smiled and said, "Speaking of which, I'm more looking forward to the release of the script that you mentioned on TV before, Koshu. It sounds very interesting from the description."

Did Aunt Eri watch that program too?

"...Of course, I should always keep an eye on Xiaoshu's affairs."

Lin Jiashu chuckled upon hearing this and shook his head: "That movie is still a long way off, Aunt Eri. The script has only just been completed, and the pre-production stage hasn't even officially started yet. It might be a year or two before it's released."

"I see... then I'll have to wait patiently."

Eri Kisaki was not disappointed and continued to smile.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the unopened can of coffee milk that Lin Jiashu had bought from the vending machine: "Why didn't you drink this after buying it specifically?"

"Isn't it a tradition to drink coffee and milk after soaking in a hot spring? So I bought it."

Hearing this, Eri Kisaki couldn't help but laugh.

Her gaze suddenly seemed exceptionally gentle.

Whether it's a preference for McDonald's breakfast or the current tradition of drinking coffee with milk... when she rarely sees childlike qualities in this always polite and well-behaved child, she can't help but feel a bit of affection for him.

"So you're planning to go to the hot springs again later?"

Lin Jiashu nodded.

"Yes, after all, there's a private hot spring in the courtyard of the room, which is a rare opportunity. I've always wanted to try soaking in an open-air hot spring in the middle of the night and looking up at the starry sky."

"I see. That does sound like a very special experience."

She looked up at the clock on the wall. "It's getting late. If you want to enjoy the hot springs, let's go as soon as possible. I'm going to rest now."

"Okay, Aunt Yingli, you should get some rest."

Lin Jiashu stood up, picked up the can of coffee milk, and said, "Good night."

Goodnight, little tree.

Eri responded gently, watching him walk towards the sliding door leading to the courtyard hot spring, a relieved and peaceful smile on her face.

The relaxation and conversation tonight made her feel as if she were a few years younger, and she was also full of anticipation for tomorrow's itinerary.

Lin Jiashu gently pulled open the shoji door and stepped into the courtyard shrouded in night. A cool night breeze brushed against her face, carrying the unique fragrance of grass and trees from the deep mountains and forests.

The hot spring in the courtyard was steaming.

As he untied his yukata and walked inside, he leisurely took out his phone and opened an email that Gin had sent not long ago.

The message was brief: he was asked to find out the whereabouts of the FBI.

He thought for a moment, then tapped his fingertips on the screen to reply:

"What happened?"

Almost immediately, Gin replied: "That woman named Naomi has been taken away by the FBI."

Coindus: "So, now you want me to gather intelligence from the FBI? Can I take that to mean the organization can't even keep an eye on someone who's under house arrest?"

He only paused for a moment.

Cointreau: "Are you kidding me? That woman saw my face on the submarine. If the FBI gets a detailed description of me from her, or even confirms my identity, we're in big trouble."

The cold light from the phone screen illuminated Lin Jiashu's expressionless face.

His reply seemed to be tinged with emotion.

On the other side, Gin, sitting in the Porsche, could directly sense this.

—This is precisely why Gin never suspected Yoshiki Hayashi from the very beginning. After all, once his identity was exposed, not only would the FBI be affected, but his social standing would also plummet.

He would never take that risk.

Gin: "This is all thanks to Vermouth's meddling. That's why we have to get rid of her completely before the FBI uses her or leaks more information."

Gin: "Be prepared for the possibility of your identity being exposed. If things go wrong, I will temporarily move you behind the scenes and cut off all overt contact."

Cointreau: "Moving behind the scenes? Easier said than done. I'm not ready to give up all of this."

Cointreau: "If that's the case, why not just ask Rum? Gin, isn't he always very good at dealing with the FBI?"

Upon seeing the name Rum, Gin's expression immediately darkened.

Rum is indeed adept at dealing with the FBI...

However, Binga's body had just cooled down, and his relationship with Rum had recently reached a freezing point. Taking the initiative to contact him now would be tantamount to showing weakness to the other party, and he might even be taken advantage of.

He remained silent, a tense atmosphere filling the car. Vodka saw his brother's gloomy face in the rearview mirror and even softened his breathing.

After much deliberation, considering the chain reaction and huge losses that would result from the exposure of Cointreau, Gin finally compromised.

...Once this troublesome guy is really moved behind the scenes, he might go completely insane and there's no way to stop him.

His outward social connections might still serve as a restraint on his homicidal tendencies. He took a deep drag on his cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke, replying amidst the swirling blue hues:

"...I'll ask."

Behind those four simple words lies suppressed anger and an unavoidable compromise.

Indeed, ensuring that Jundu's identity is not exposed is more important than saving face.

We did it right away.

Gin didn't hesitate and contacted Rum directly. After the call connected, he skipped all the unnecessary pleasantries and got straight to the point:

“The FBI took Naomi Algent away. Boss’s orders are to kill her as soon as possible. I need to know their possible hiding places.”

There seemed to be a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"FBI..."

Vodka, who was standing next to him, vaguely heard a distorted voice coming from the other end of his brother's phone, so he held his breath.

"They're really quick... It's unrealistic for me to know their hiding place directly under these circumstances, Gin."

"But since it's that gentleman's order, I understand. I'll give you a list of suspected FBI agents hiding in Tokyo that our intelligence team has gathered. Whether you can get the information you want from them depends on your luck, Gin."

"ASAP."

Gin coldly uttered those two words and ended the call immediately.

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Rum slowly put down his phone, a mocking sneer slowly appearing on his face.

What a hyena.

Naomi's position was leaked to James Black by him.

Now all of this is part of his plan.

The task at hand is simple: test the real-world effectiveness of the cross-age tracking system through James Black, a collaborator.

But the FBI rescued her under the guise of protecting her safety, and there is currently no sufficient reason to ask them to use that system.

(Therefore, it is necessary to put pressure on them through Gin...)

A glint of light flashed in Rum's single eye.

The man's urgency was intriguing, but his orders came at just the right time. The organization's murderous intent was exactly the catalyst he and James Black needed—once Gin and the organization's assassins launched a fierce attack on the FBI's safe house, even threatening Naomi's own life, the woman who had finally calmed down would truly panic and would fight the organization at all costs.

At that point, he would then hint through James that Naomi might be able to use her system to do something for the anti-organization... and thus, he would naturally begin his covert search.

"Lord Rum, regarding Sherry... that little girl named Ai Haibara, shouldn't we report the current situation we have?"

Just as Rum was pondering the current situation, Curaçao, who had been standing quietly to the side like a shadow, suddenly spoke up and asked a question.

Staring at the photo of Lin Jiashu with a gentle smile on the screen, Rum's fingers unconsciously tapped the table.

No, not for now.

"It would be foolish to make premature judgments before everything is definitively concluded. A few similar photos and our speculations are not enough to prove that the kid is Shirley... What the gentleman needs is irrefutable evidence, not 'possible' or 'probably'."

This sounds very high-sounding—even if all that's left here is Curaçao, a tool he trusts deeply.

Because Rum was the one who brainwashed Curaçao, he was confident that she would not betray him, and that's why she was able to stand here knowing so many secrets.

In fact, Rum is now 90% certain that Ai Haibara is Sherry, who escaped from the gas chamber. Just think about it, the gas chamber only had a sewer that was just big enough for a small child to squeeze through. That's practically the answer right in front of him!

(If that's the case...)

His gaze refocused on Lin Jiashu's face on the screen, his eyes becoming incredibly deep and cold, carrying a sense of unbelievable absurdity and annoyance at being fooled.

(Cointreau...)